Late night talks
by miracle'of'words
Summary: When she breaks up with Richard, Monica hits rock bottom. Only one of her friends gets trough to her. But life is never as perfect as it seems...
1. Chapter 1

"I can't believe me and Richard are going to Barry and Mindys wedding tomorrow. Mindy – who wouldn't even talk to me back in high school", says Monica.

Chandler grins. "Well, to be honest, it does sound weird. You're going to the wedding of your best friend's ex-fiancée and a girl who teased you all the time in your childhood."

The two of them are sitting on Chandler's bed talking. That's what they do on nights they both got nothing to do. They meet in one of their bedrooms and talk about everything. Sometimes they even sit in silence, just enjoying each other's presence. Monica isn't sure if there is anything she enjoys as much as these late night talks with Chandler.

"You're right. But I'm going as the date of Richard, so it's not that weird."

"Still weird. Especially because your boyfriend is so much older than you."

Monica shoots a killing glance at him. She hates it when her friends are joking about Richard's age and the fact Monica is dating him. And Chandler knows that better than anyone.

"Okay, I'm sorry", Chandler gives her an apologizing smile. "So it's going pretty well between you two, huh?"

Monica giggles. Chandler knows exactly how to avoid an uncomfortable discussion with her. She begins to think about Richard and herself. They are definitely doing very well. She is even beginning to imagine her future with him, something she hasn't done with any guy she knows. When she dreams of her wedding now, her groom doesn't have no face anymore, he has Richards face. When she imagines her children, they look a little bit like her and a bit like Richard. She looks over to Chandler, smiling, and just nods her head.

"Oh please, you don't have to pay attention to my non-existing love life. I know he is the love of your life. And I'm happy for you."

"Thank you", Monica whispers. When she was growing up she hadn't had many friends. Most of the kids her age used to tease her. Now she has this group of very close friends who mean the world to her. And then there is Chandler, the very best of a friend, who she can just talk with about everything. Her friends and her boyfriend, they really make her life perfect.

Monica is running up the stairs to her apartment. Perfect life, perfect life, very funny. Her life sucks. She always knew it, she just needed a small reminder. Well, it wasn't a small reminder, Richard telling her he doesn't want to have kids, ever. With her last ounce of strength she opens the door to apartment 20, walks into her bedroom and falls onto the bed. She didn't even have the strength to take off her shoes or the dress she was wearing for the wedding. She would laugh at the irony, Monica, the neat freak on her bed with shoes on, but she's too depressed. Her dream is over. Richard is the only guy who would have married her, that's for sure. No one wants to marry a former fat neat freak with a need to control everyone around her. Just as her thoughts are getting darker and darker there's a knock on the door and Rachel peeks in.

"Hey, what happened? I saw you running away from…" Then she notices Monica's crying. "Oh, Monica, what's wrong?"

"Ri… Richard and I … we don't … he is … we broke up", sobs Monica.

"Oh honey", Rachel rushes over to Monica, putting her arms around her friend. "Why? I thought he loved you?"

Monica isn't able to answer. Her heart is broken and she doesn't want to talk about it. She can't even stop crying. After a while Rachel leaves the room again. Monica feels relieved. She doesn't want to see anyone. Never again. People just make her feel bad. It's what they did in the past, it's what they do now. Crying and thinking about her sad life Monica makes a decision: She will never leave this room again. All she needs is in this room.

Monica waits to fall asleep. But her thoughts keep her awake.

"I don't know what to do anymore", Ross sighs. It kills him to see his sister suffering like this. It's been three days since Barry and Mindys wedding and Monica doesn't look any better.

"She doesn't sleep, she is barely eating, she won't go out anymore…" Rachel looks at the others seeking help.

Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe are sitting in the boy's apartment talking about Monica. They all feel for their friend, but don't know what to do to help her. The two girls and Ross tried again and again to talk to Monica, but she is just laying on her bed, her face covered with a shirt, which Richard obliviously forgot.

"I think, Chandler should go and talk to her", Phoebe says, who was quiet for a long time.

Chandler looks at her, a little shocked. "What?" He can't stand seeing Monica like this. He has always thought of Monica as a strong woman who doesn't need anyone's help, but – in return – helps him to figure his complicated life out. Now, that she really needed help, he doesn't really know what to say or do. He feels so helpless.

Rachel looks at Phoebe, nodding. "Yes, that will work!"

"How … What … Why should she want to talk to me when she doesn't even talk to you? You are girls, you understand … I'm just …"

"They are right, man", says Joey, now also taking the side of the girls. "You always have these night talks, which, by the way: very weird. You know there are other activities you could do at night, in your bed? Like…" "Joey" "Okay, okay, you should really go and talk to her. It's worth a shot!"

Chandler looks at Ross. Surprisingly Ross seems to agree as well. "You really think… I don't know what to say. What if I make stupid jokes? What if…"

"Chandler, you'll be fine", Rachel puts an arm around Chandler. "You and Monica, you have this really strong connection. If you can't help her, no one will."

"Just talk to her and ask her what happened", advises Ross.

Chandler nods. He will do it. He can do it. But not like the others said. He won't ask any stupid questions. It doesn't matter what exactly happened. He gets up from the couch and walks into apartment 20.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: I've already written some chapters to this story, so I can afford updating again. :) Also I don't know what happened, but my AN in the first chapter is not visible, sorry. I still have to figure some things out here. ;) Oh, what I wanted to tell you: I'm German, so please feel free to correct my English if you find any big mistakes. It would help me a lot. :) Now I've said enough, let's see what our two favorite people do…_

Monica hears another knock at her door. She pulls her blanket over her head. Why can't her friends just understand that she doesn't want to talk? She loves the two girls and by now she even loves her brother, but do they have to come looking for her every hour? The door to her bedroom opens and she hears footsteps. She prepares herself for the questions that will of course be asked: What happened? Why? I thought he loved you?

"Can you move over a bit, please?"

Monica is surprised hearing a voice she hasn't heard for a while. Without thinking she moves over to one side of the bed. Chandler jumps on the spot next to her, sitting up against the bedhead. Monica doesn't move. She didn't expect him to come in. She thought it would – again – be Rachel. But, to be honest, she really wanted him to talk to her. If anyone's able to get her out of this, it would be Chandler. Now he is sitting right next to her and even though normally it doesn't feel weird at all to remain silent with him, it does now. Monica knows he is looking for words, a joke, anything and she almost smiles. Chandler thinks of himself as not being good at words and comforting others, always breaking an uncomfortable situation with a joke, but no one calms Monica down like he does. Even though Rachel and Phoebe are girls and might understand her problems better, Chandler's always the first one Monica goes to if she has something on her mind.

"You might want to sit up, 'cause I brought tea and chocolate chip cookies."

Monica puts her blanket away and looks at Chandler.

"Okay, you got me. I didn't bring them, I found them in your kitchen. They still look delicious tough. Want one?"

Chandler hands Monica a cookie, but she is gazing into the distance. He shrugs and takes a bite himself.

"Ouch! Well, I don't need my teeth anyway", Chandler says throwing the cookie away. Finally a small, half-hearted smile appears on Monica's face. She takes one cup of tea out of Chandler's hands.

"I made these almost a month ago!" She totally forgot she put these cookies in a box and hid it so Joey and Chandler wouldn't find them. What was she thinking? They have noses trained on finding everything she cooks or bakes.

Chandler cannot help but smile. He did it. Monica's talking to him.

"Some might find that disgusting, but, you know, I've lived with Joey for a long time now. I've got some practice." He puts the box on the floor. "Guess what, funniest thing happened at work today! I'm in my office, putting these numbers in… Oh well, who am I kidding? You're not my boss. So, I'm in my office, playing a little game of Tetris when I suddenly hear screaming from another cubicle. My co-worker, you know, the annoying one I told you about, is standing there with an ashen-pale face and screams. He couldn't say anything, he was just stuttering and pointing at one of his drawers. When we looked in it we saw this cute little toy mouse running around. Guess who put it there! Guess, please!"

By now Chandler has a big smile on his face. Monica rolls her eyes. "You?"

"What … How did you get that? And on your first try?" Chandler grins. "Turned out my co-worker has this terrible fear of mice."

"You are meaner than I thought!"

"In my defense, I didn't know he's scared of these cute animals. I just wanted to play a little trick on him. And for your information, he really is an idiot. Have I told you he's always telling us about the great things he has done? Well, back off, here you are not better than anyone of us. And above all he …"

"He doesn't want to have any kids", Monica says, quietly.

"What? I don't know if he …"

"Richard. Richard doesn't want to have kids, ever, that's why we broke up."

Chandler breaks off speaking and puts an arm around Monica. "Oh, Monica, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be. You guys always told me he's too old for me. I should have figured it out. I just…"

"Hey, Monica, it's not your fault. You really want kids, everybody who cares about you knows that. And he loved you. How come…"

Monica puts her head on Chandler's shoulder. "He said he could do it, for me. But I don't want my children to have a father who didn't want them. I want him to want kids as much as I do. Is that too much to ask for?"

"No, of course not. You are…"

"No man I've ever met wants to marry me, have my kids or spend the rest of his life with me. Am I so hard to like, Chandler?"

Chandler doesn't know what to say, so he just shakes his head. Monica sighs and cuddles closer to him. They sit like that for quite a while. After what feels like hours Chandler clears his throat. "Monica, I know, you're devastated right now, but I … I really like you. I'll be there for you. And I can't wait to have the strong woman I call my best friend back."

"Thank you!"

Chandler blushes a little bit. "Not at all!"

"No, I mean it, thank you for sitting with me without asking any questions."

"Well, I thought you might…", Chandler tries.

"Don't try to explain it. Just thank you. "

Chandler pulls Monica closer. Then he clears his throat. "I think I'm gonna go now!"

"Can you stay?", Monica asks, then suddenly blushes. "I … I mean, I didn't sleep the last few nights and I could really need some sleep. Maybe I'll fall asleep with someone next to me."

"Of course", Chandler lays down next to her and pulls her close. "Good night, Mon!"

Monica snuggles closer to him. "Good night, Chandler." That's exactly what she has needed. Someone who doesn't ask any questions, but talks about casual things. Like that stupid prank Chandler played on his co-worker. Monica doubts that Chandler knows how much he has helped her with this. Unintentionally he's done the right thing. She closes her eyes and falls asleep immediately.

Later that night Rachel and Ross are wondering where Chandler is. "Did you see him coming back from Monica's?", Ross asks his girlfriend. Rachel shakes her head and quietly opens the door to Monica's bedroom. She gives Ross a peek and points at Chandler, who is holding Monica. Both are fast asleep. "She is going to be okay!", Rachel whispers.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: Here you go. :) Thanks for all the kind reviews! :)_

Chandler feels someone move beside him and opens his eyes. He sees Monica looking at him. "Good morning, slept well?", he asks softly.

Monica nods. "Surprisingly, I didn't wake up once. I expected to at least have a bad dream, but I didn't. It's feels…"

Suddenly they hear noises in the apartment. Phoebe's laughing out loud, Joey's complaining he's hungry, Ross is telling Rachel he has to work late tonight. Monica's almost happy face turns into a sad one. Chandler notices it immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"I … They are behaving like everything's normal. But it's not, not for me. Last night I completely forgot about … about Richard and his … thoughts, but now … I'm just not ready to go out there, talk and explain everything to them. I guess I'm just gonna stay in here today."

Chandler's smile fades. He was so happy when Monica forgot Richard for a little bit. But he should have known it. Of course one talk with him wouldn't make her sadness all go away. However, he couldn't let her fall back. If he leaves her alone now, she wouldn't get up or do anything and his work last night would have been in vain.

"Hey, Mon, I have an idea. How about we spend a Monica-and-Chandler-day today? We haven't done that in such a long time. Remember when we first moved here, we had a day like that almost every week. It'll be fun!"

"Chandler, you have to go to work!"

"So do you."

"I called in sick a few days ago."

"I just think my throat feels a little rough. Better call in sick as well."

"Chandler…"

"Please, Monica, please!"

"I just don't feel like going out…"

"Then we don't. We can just hang out hear the whole day. Please, please, please!" Chandler gives her an innocent look, which he knows Monica can hardly resist.

"Well, all right then. But without the others, just the two of us?"

"Wouldn't be a Monica-and-Chandler-day with the others disturbing us, would it?"

Monica gives him a small smile.

"Ok, here's the plan." Chandler is now thrilled. "I'm gonna go and talk to them. Tell them to hang out somewhere else. Meanwhile you gonna take a shower and after that we are going to make breakfast. Sounds good?" Chandler winks at Monica and opens the door.

The other four fall silent and look at Chandler.

"Hey man, where were you? I've been looking for you?", asks Joey. Then his eyes grow wide. "Wait a minute, did you spend the night in Monica's bedroom?"

"Yes, I did, but it's not a big deal. She just needed a friend…"

Rachel clears her throat. "But, but I'm her friend. I would have stayed with her. I always asked her if she wants me to stay. I don't understand…"

"Listen, guys! You gotta hang out somewhere else today. Monica doesn't feel like talking to all of you yet and…"

"What do you mean? I'm her brother. If she wants to talk to anyone, it should be me."

"Sorry, Ross. I'm the lucky one, she picked me!" His friends look at Chandler, not sure whether he was joking or being serious. To be honest, he really does see himself as the lucky one. It has been ages since he and Monica hang out just the two of them and he is so excited about it.

"Are you sure she's alright?" Phoebe has a concerned look on her face.

Chandler pushes his friends out of Monica and Rachel's apartment and opens the door to his and Joeys. "Look, guys. She's alright. Well, still depressed, but it's gonna be okay. Please, just don't ask any questions yet and let me have some more time with her."

"I guess we can do that", Rachel mumbles. The other three nod.

Chandler turns around to go, but Ross gives him a pat on the shoulder. "Hey, Chandler, make sure she's gonna be okay."

When Monica steps out of the shower she feels much better. She didn't want to admit it, but she really needed one. It felt great, just standing under the running, hot water and forgetting about everything around her.

As she walks out of the bathroom dressed in something else than her sweatpants, Chandler smiles at her. "I'm ready for our day… Woah, what happened here?"

Chandler is standing at her kitchen counter and there is flour everywhere. Chandler looks like a little child, who got caught sneaking around on Christmas morning. "I … I wanted to make some pancakes for you."

"Chandler, I told you like a thousand times, you are not allowed in my kitchen! Now sit down on the couch, I'll make the pancakes."

"But I wanna help!"

Monica is not paying any attention to him.

"Hey, Mon, it's our day. So you've got to let me help you!"

"Alright. But let me tell you this, Chandler: to make pancakes, the flour's supposed to be in the bowl, not spread in the kitchen."

"Ah, you know, that's where I was wrong. I always thought this rule concerns only cookies. Why hasn't anybody told me this?"

Monica smiles. She loves that Chandler is always up for joking. She couldn't stand the others worrying about her, but he just behaves like always and that's all she needs right now.

"Okay, Mon, how can I help you?"

"Try to hold the bowl while I put the flour in it." Monica thought of the easiest job to do. He wouldn't mess up this one, would he?

But Chandler puts his hand in the flour and flips it onto Monica's face. Monica sighs and rolls her eyes.

"That's not how you make pancakes either. One more of these and you'll sit on the couch!"

"Okay, I'll behave!"

Monica smiles inside. She wouldn't show him, but she feels like smiling. It's so easy to have fun with Chandler. Why did they stop spending a whole day together just the two of them in the first place? It's always refreshing. She guesses with all the others joining their group they just forgot. They still have their late night talks and that's wonderful, but it's not the same.

"Okay, we have flour, sugar, baking soda, milk ... We still need … eggs! Am I right?"

"Yes, you are. Watch out!"

Monica is just about to crack the egg, when Chandler says: "Let me do it! I've never done this before."

"Well, that's exactly the reason why I won't let you do it. And, please, don't tell me you never cracked an egg before!"

"Okay, I have. But not as many as you! Trust me, Monica, I can do that!"

"Fine, you can do it, but I can't watch!" Monica closes her eyes. She hears a cracking sound, then Chandler who breathes in heavily.

"Oops, that was close. I'm sorry for your kitchen counter, again!"

"Chandler!", cries Monica and opens her eyes. The egg is in the bowl and Chandler's smiling. She gives him a killing glance.

Chandler laughs out loud and claps his hands. "It's gonna be a great day!"

After a long and fun day Chandler and Monica are laying on Monica's couch. They hadn't spent the whole day in the apartment. Chandler convinced Monica to go out to her favorite pizza place for lunch. On the walk back through Central Park Chandler told joke after joke. Monica couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, stop it, Chandler, I can't walk anymore. How come you know so many jokes? I mean you always tell a lot, but today…"

"Well, I didn't get to see you the last few days. I have to catch up!"

"You know I waited for you to come talk to me? Every time Rachel or Phoebe or Ross came in I kinda hoped it would be you. I didn't admit it to myself, but I know now." She blushes.

Chandler clears his throat. "Okay, next time I'll know!"

"Hopefully there won't be a next time…"

Now they are watching a movie to finish the day. Monica is happy. It was a great day. They have done some serious talking, but also lots and lots of joking. She isn't really paying attention to the movie she picked, just recalling the day.

"Thank you for spending the day with me!"

"Not at all!" Monica smiles. Not at all, Chandler's stock response whenever she thanks him. He doesn't give himself enough credit.

"You blew off our friends, you called in sick for work, you let me decide what to do, thank you!"

"That wasn't a sacrifice at all. I got to spend the day with my favorite woman!"

Monica snuggles closer to Chandler and falls asleep without seeing the end of the movie. When the movie's finished, Chandler shakes Monica a bit. "Come on, go to sleep!"

Half asleep Monica gets up and Chandler guides her to her bedroom. She is fast asleep as soon as she falls on the bed. Carefully Chandler tucks her in and looks at her. Then, after a little bit of hesitation, he leans down to her and gives her a kiss on her forehead.

Quietly he closes the door, tiptoes back to his bedroom and smiles. It really was a day well spent.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks for all the reviews and enjoy the next chapter. :)_

When Chandler opens the door to apartment 20 the next morning he finds his friends talking and having breakfast.

"Hey, is Mon still sleeping?", he asks, not even trying to hide why he came over in the first place.

"She went to work before we woke up. She left us a note though", Ross says and hands him a piece of paper. _Gone to work already! Mon_, he reads on it. He feels disappointed. He really wanted to see her to make sure she's okay. It's weird, he thinks, about all the women he went out with he didn't care as much as about Monica. He wonders why…

"Do you really think she's gonna be okay, Chandler?", Phoebe asks, worried.

"Of course, her going to work is a good sign, right?"

"It's just weird… Why is she not talking to us?" Rachel looks worried, too.

"Just give her some more time. The break-up with Richard broke her, but she's strong."

Joey was quiet the whole time, eating his toast. "It's just… I miss her … I mean, her breakfast. This just doesn't taste as good as…"

"Hey, I made this!", Rachel cries. "Alright, I know, I'm just not good at this stuff. I'm good at different stuff though." She gives Ross a wink.

Chandler groans. "Alright, children, I'm gonna go to work, too. See you later!"

* * *

A few days later Chandler and Monica are sitting in Central Perk, drinking coffee and talking. The whole week Monica went to work before everyone woke up and came home late. Chandler hasn't seen her much either, apart from one night, when he just walked into her bedroom and asked her how she's feeling.

"You are working long hours a lot lately", Chandler comments while sipping his coffee.

"Well, I … it keeps me busy and my mind from worrying about … stuff."

"I understand. It's just, we miss you. A lot. Joey's almost crying every morning because he misses your breakfast. Why aren't you hanging out with us anymore?"

"It's not that I don't want to hang out with you guys. We are just really busy at the moment."

"Come on, Mon, you know that's not true. And I know it, too.

"It is the truth. Why don't believe me?"

"I know you too well."

"No, you don't."

"Look, they are worried about you. They miss …"

"No way, Joey, that's gross!", Phoebe yells. The two of them walk into Central Perk, smiling as they see Monica.

"Chandler, Monica, hey! Great to see you. Ross and Rachel are down in just a minute. Yay, it's been ages since we all hang out together!" Phoebe claps in her hands, excited.

Monica looks at Chandler, he is smiling as well. She can't do it. Not today. She really wants to, but something tells her she just can't. "I have to go do … something!" She gets up quickly and leaves.

Joey and Phoebe look at Chandler. "What was that about?", Joey asks.

Just then Rachel and Ross enter the coffee shop. "Hey guys, we just saw Monica running up the stairs. What happened?"

"She's avoiding us, again. Seems to be getting her thing!", Phoebe says and rolls her eyes.

"Seriously, Chandler, why is she doing this?", Ross asks.

"I … I don't know. I was just talking to her about it, but she doesn't seem to understand that she's hurting you guys."

"Well, she is!", Joey says.

"Alright, I'll try to talk to her about it right now. But promise me something. Don't ask her any questions about the thing with Richard. Just act normal around her."

"Okay, good luck, Chandler. And thank you!"

* * *

"Monica?", Chandler yells when he enters apartment 20. Monica is sitting on the couch and turns around to look at him. "What was that? They are really hurt."

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. I just, I couldn't talk to them. I wanted to, but I couldn't." Monica is looking at him with tears in her eyes. It kills him to see her like this. He hates seeing tears in the eyes of Monica, who's always strong and helps him figuring things out. And he hates himself for not being able to help her more.

"Hey, hey, sshh, it's okay." He pulls her close. "It's alright." He wipes the tears off her cheeks. "But, you know, they are your friends and they love you and they don't really understand why you're avoiding them."

"I'm not avoiding them!", says Monica.

"You are. Come on, go down to the coffee shop and just talk to them like you do to me. Well, actually, not exactly like you do to me, because I'm still your _best_ friend, right?" Monica smiles at him and nods. "And… to be completely honest, also because you're quite mean to me sometimes."

"I am not", Monica says with a stubborn expression on her face. But it turns into a smile immediately. "Well, you deserve it though."

"I guess we have different opinions on that topic!"

"Okay, let's go downstairs and socialize." Monica gets up and pulls Chandler with her. "But you stay with me, bestie!"

* * *

When the two of them enter Central Perk , Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey are still sitting there talking. Monica is insecure, but Chandler grabs her hand and squeezes it. That's what makes Monica talk.

"Hey, guys, I'm sorry." Her four friends turn around and look at her. "I'm sorry for … well, for avoiding you. I didn't mean to do it. It was just, when Richard and I broke up it was … difficult for me and … I just couldn't talk to you. But Chandler …"

Joey's eyes grow wider. "Wait a minute, are you two more than just friends?" He points to the two of them still holding hands. Monica rolls her eyes and lets go of Chandler's hand. "N…", but Chandler interrupts her. "Of course. I'm Monica's bestie!" He laughs.

Rachel gets up. "Hey! I thought we are besties, Mon!"

"You are all very special to me!", Monica says and hugs Rachel.

"Oh, I wanna join the hug, too!", Phoebe yells and soon Monica is trapped between her favorite girls. She smiles. It feels so good. She couldn't imagine losing them. She may not have a boyfriend, but her friends are the best.

* * *

Later that night Monica, Rachel and Phoebe are sitting on the couch in their apartment. They are talking about everything that has happened except for Richard.

"So, Rach, how is it going between my brother and you?", Monica asks. The last few days she only thought about herself and her problem, so she really needs an update about everything that happened.

"Actually, it's still going great. I can't believe we really made it work. During my time with Barry, when someone would have told me I'm once gonna love your brother as much as I do now, I would have tapped my forehead at him."

Monica smiles at that. She can't believe it either. Even though Ross never told her personally, she always knew he had a crush on Rachel. But after she and Rachel lost sight of each other, she never thought her brother would gonna have a chance. But it all worked out fine.

"You know what surprises me?" Phoebe was quiet for a long time, obviously trying to figure something out.

Monica and Rachel look at her, shaking their heads.

"Chandler's the one who got through to you. Chandler! Why he? He doesn't even know how to talk with someone in a serious way. Most of the time he cannot even answer without one of these stupid jokes!"

"Chandler's not only the prankster who is not able to stop joking at the right time." Like always when someone says something about Chandler, Monica feels like coming to his defense right away. "He is also sensitive and very caring. He just did the right thing at the right time. I don't even know if he was aware of what he was doing. And not all of his jokes are stupid!"

"Monica, I wasn't gonna insult him. I'm just curious."

"Yeah, Phoebe's right. What did he do to help you?"

"Well… You, you might think it's stupid. He told me about this prank he played on his co-worker. And suddenly I wasn't even thinking about my … my problem anymore. All I was thinking about was how Chandler really is an idiot sometimes."

"He was talking about work?", Rachel yells.

"Yes, it sounds weird, but it really helped me at this point. He didn't ask any questions, was just acting normally."

"I can't believe that Chandler, who is so bad with women, helped you." Phoebe shakes her head.

"He may be bad with women, but he never is with Monica!" Rachel laughs. "And besides, he managed to get a woman to be his girlfriend again."

"What?", Monica asks in shock. "Chandler has a girlfriend?"

"He hasn't admitted it yet, but Phoebe and I guess so. He is keeping it a secret."

"Wait a minute, Rach. Monica doesn't know about it? Why that?"

"That's weird indeed. They are talking a lot. He would have told her, wouldn't he, Mon?"

Monica isn't listening anymore. Chandler has a girlfriend? Chandler? A girlfriend? Phoebe and Rachel are right, he would have told her, right? They tell each other everything. He wouldn't keep it a secret from her. But what if it's true? She has been a little self-involved lately. It's possible that she just didn't recognize all the signs that Phoebe and Rachel obliviously saw. But Chandler? A girlfriend? No, he's not able to keep secrets. Not Chandler. He's telling secrets all the time, because he cannot keep them. And if he really got a girlfriend again, he would be so proud, he would have told that. At least Joey and Ross and they would have told them, wouldn't they?

"Monica? Monica? Is everything okay with you?"

"Wha… What? Yes, sure. I'm just really tired. I'm gonna go to bed."

When Monica left, Phoebe turns to Rachel. "Do you think Monica's his secret girlfriend?"

"What? Monica and Chandler? No way! Phoebe, don't be silly. They are just close friends."


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks again for reading and reviewing. :)_

Monica is happy. The moment she has been dreaming of since her childhood is here. She is in the hospital, her newborn daughter in her arms. The little girl is looking at her mommy. Tears are streaming down Monica's face. She is the luckiest woman in the world.

The girl looks exactly like her Dad. Monica could just imagine her daughter grow up to look like a female version of her father. In this moment, said father walks through the door. He couldn't be there for the birth because of a business trip. Monica is happy to finally see him.

"Richard, look, that's…"

But the look on Richard's face makes her stop. He looks angry and not at all happy.

"Monica, I told you I don't want to have kids!"

The little girl in Monica's arms begins to cry at Richard's loud voice.

"Hey, nurse, take this child with you. We don't want it!"

Monica's heart skips a beat. "No! Richard, …"

"Stop talking and give the baby to the nurse!"

Monica shakes her head and pulls her daughter closer to her. But Richard tears the crying baby away from his mother and hands his daughter to the nurse without even looking at her. The nurse looks at Monica, who is now crying like never before, but Richards pushes her out of the room. Monica catches a last glimpse at her daughter before the door closes. She screams and screams and screams.

Monica wakes up screaming and bathed in sweats. Tears are still streaming down her face and she needs a minute to figure out where she actually is. Talking a deep breath she sits up and takes a drink of water from the bottle on her nightstand. She didn't think about Richard not wanting kids for a long time and doesn't know why the nightmare came tonight.

The clock next to her reads 11pm. She went to bed really early tonight because she couldn't stand listening to Rachel and Phoebe any longer. After a while she turns the light off and lays down again. But as soon as she's surrounded by darkness she again sees the look on her baby's face and the feeling inside of her when the nurse took the baby away. It felt like her heart was being torn out. Her chest aches and the tears are coming again. Even though it was only a dream losing her baby is the worst feeling she ever had.

Monica turns the light back on. It's impossible to go back to sleep now. Not knowing what to do she tiptoes out of her room. But Rachel hasn't heard her screaming so she probably won't hear her now. Most likely she is at Ross's tonight. As soon as she walks in the living room and sees the front door, she knows what to do. She knows where she has to be now. Quietly she opens her door and enters apartment 19. Chandler will help her. Chandler will calm her down.

With a knock she opens the door to his bedroom. Chandler is laying on his bed, but he is not alone. And he is definitely not dressed.

"Oh my…"

Chandler looks at Monica and immediately pulls a blanket over him and the woman next to him. "Monica!"

But Monica already closed the door again. It is true what Phoebe and Rachel talked about. He really has a secret girlfriend. How is that possible? Even though she saw it with her own eyes, she can't quite believe it. Chandler. A girlfriend. Monica feels like she is going to faint and collapses on the couch.

* * *

As soon as Chandler saw Monica standing in his doorframe he knows something terrible must have happened to her. She looked at him, her eyes full of fear. He has to see her and make sure she's okay. He doesn't know where the urge comes from, he just has to.

"What the hell was that?"

Chandler turns around to the woman in his bed. "Monica, I have to go check on her. I'll be back … soon!"

He jumps out of bed, but gets held back. "Wait a minute. Is this the Monica you talk about all the time?"

"She is my friend and she seemed really sad. I have to talk to her! Please wait here." Chandler gets dressed, opens the door and walks into the living room.

"No! It's 11.30pm. Don't your friends respect your privacy?"

"Actually, never!"

"What kind of friends are they?"

"The best. Listen, please stay in my room while I talk to Monica."

"No, I don't want to compete against your friend. You can come back in your room with me or talk to Monica. If you choose her, you can't have me. It's your choice. I'll give you five minutes!"

"Well, I don't need five minutes. I don't even need one minute. I would like to talk to Monica and I'm gonna do that. Between you and my best friend, I'll pick her. Between her and anyone, I'd always pick Monica."

"Why?"

Chandler thinks about that. He really liked the girl who is now standing in front of him, angrily. At least he thought he loved her. But at the end of the day he would always choose Monica. He doesn't really know what it is between him and Monica. They are very close friends, sure, but they also have this connection he hasn't felt with anyone else yet. They are just comfortable in each other's company and he couldn't think of a better friend. "I… I don't know. I couldn't ever live without her."

But he said these words to an empty room, because the door was already closed before he even came up with a good reason.

Suddenly he hears sobbing. "Sorry", someone mumbles.

It was only then that Chandler saw Monica laying on his couch. Quickly he sits down next to her and pulls her into his arms. Monica begins to calm down immediately.

"Monica, hey, what happened?"

"Who was that?"

"No idea! I found her in my wardrobe."

"Chandler, not the right time!"

"My girlfriend", he mumbles so that Monica could barely hear him.

"Since when do you have one?"

"The night you … umm… you went to …. this, this wedding."

"Oh! Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Well, I guess it just wasn't that important. We only met some nights, we barely saw each other. It was nothing serious."

"Why didn't you tell _me_?"

"I wanted to. Mon, I really wanted to. But then you came home from the wedding and … well, I just didn't want to upset you more. Wouldn't be a big of consoler if I'd told you while you're suffering, would I?"

"You still should have told me… How come you didn't … well … go back to your bedroom with her?" Monica listened to the whole conversation and couldn't believe the cute words he was saying about her.

"Because you obviously needed me." For Chandler it really was that easy.

"But, I would have been fine. You don't need to blow off your girlfriend just because I don't know how to figure out my problems all by myself. Believe me, I would have been fine."

"No, you wouldn't have been fine, Mon. I saw the look on your face. Come on, tell me what happened."

"Can we talk in your room? I don't want Joey to see me like this. I think he still believes I'm the strong woman I want to be."

Once the door is closed Monica tells Chandler everything that has happened in her dream. She tells him about the look on Richard's and her daughter's face, the feeling inside her which was tearing her apart, everything. Tears are streaming down her face again when she is reliving her nightmare. Chandler's not saying a word. It hurts him to listen to her dream. He's angry at everyone who causes her any pain, especially Richard.

Monica stopped talking now as well. Chandler looks at her blue eyes, full of tears, and he feels tears in his own eyes now as well.

"I'm so sorry!" is all he can say.

"It's not your fault. I just don't know how I'm ever gonna find sleep again. Every time I close my eyes I see everything again. I guess I just have to deal with living without ever sleeping again."

"That's not true. It'll get better."

"Yeah, but not tonight."

"You know what? Stay here with me. It helped once, maybe it'll help again to get you to sleep."

"Thank you, Chandler!"

"Not at all!"

Monica smiles lightly and snuggles under the blanket.

"Good night, Mon. I'll fight every bad dream which dares to come near you", Chandler says and puts his arm around her.

After a while he hears Monica breathing regularly. He looks at her silhouette in the darkness of his room. She's now smiling peacefully. It was then when he suddenly knows the answer to all his questions. Why he'd always choose her. Why it causes him pain to see her suffering. Why no woman would ever be as important to him as Monica. He has fallen for her. Chandler pulls her tighter to him and buries his nose in her hair. She smells like Monica and it's the best smell ever. Chandler sighs. He is falling in love with Monica. And there is nothing he could do to stop it.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. A special thanks to all the guest reviewers as well. You all really make me tip faster every time. :D The next chapter is kinda short, it's more like a "filler", but I hope you enjoy it anyway. :)_

Chandler is sitting at the table in apartment 20 and looks at Monica. Over the last few days he really tried to forget the thing about him having a crush on Monica. He just forced himself to see her like before: his friend. But it's hard. She is amazing. Right now she creases her face into a frown when she fights with Ross about something he has done in their childhood. But only a few seconds later she laughs out loud, her blue eyes sparkling, about a joke Phoebe just told. Chandler cannot concentrate on the conversation around him. All he can concentrate on is this woman in front of him who makes his heart skip a beat. The last few days Monica fully recovered from her break-up with Richard. It took a load off his mind when Chandler realized Monica's back to her former self. Suddenly Monica gives him a questioning look. He was looking at her for too long. Chandler gives her a goofy grin.

"Hey, Chandler, are you even there?" He hears Joey yelling at him.

"What? Yes, of course. Why?"

"We were talking about you and you are just staring into the distance!" Chandler blushes. Yeah right, staring into the distance, that's what he was doing.

"We were just talking about how some men just don't wanna have kids. That doesn't mean they are bad human beings", Monica explains to him. "I mean, look at you, you don't wanna have kids, right?"

Right, that's what he was telling everyone since he grew up. Because of his childhood he doesn't think it's a good idea to bring a child into this world. But suddenly he realizes something: Monica will never have a relationship with someone who doesn't want to have kids ever again. So he should really reconsider his decision when he and Monica… Stop! Stop right there. There would never be a Chandler and Monica as in Ross and Rachel. Even if he'd told her, he wouldn't have a chance. Chandler looks at Monica again. She could have everyone. She looks beautiful and has this huge heart. And her quirks like her need to clean all the time and control everyone around her – they make her even more lovable. Every man would be lucky to have Monica and she wouldn't ever choose her goofy friend Chandler. That's not how life goes. Especially not his life. Okay, he needs to forget his crush on her. Chandler closes his eyes. As soon as he opens them again he will look at Monica and see her as his friend again. One, two, three… Chandler looks at her. If he tells her about his crush he will lose her as his friend. Just thinking about the possibility of Monica not being his friend anymore he gets teary eyes. Quickly he gets up and leaves the apartment without saying a word. In the hall he leans against the wall and sighs. Just a few seconds later he hears the door again. He puts his hands before his face to shield his teary eyes from the person who excited the apartment.

"What's wrong, Chandler?" It's Monica. He puts his hands down. Luckily it's Monica. He couldn't deal with Joey, Ross, Phoebe or Rachel seeing him like this. He can with Monica. She always understands him. It is only then when he realizes that he can't talk to Monica about this. The only thing he can't talk with her about. He turns to leave.

But Monica holds him back. "Chandler?"

He finally looks at her, all the images of him losing her in his head. His heart aches at only the thought of Monica not being his friend anymore. "Please… please don't ever stop being my friend, Mon!"

Monica looks at him, not really understanding where that came from. She caresses his check. "Chandler, you're my favorite person ever. No matter what, you will always be my friend."

Chandler pulls her into a tight hug. It is then when he decides he would never do anything to ruin his friendship with this girl. Never ever!

* * *

"What's wrong with Chandler?" Joey looks concerned when Monica comes back into the apartment. Everyone is looking at her. If only she knew. He didn't really say much. Just this weird _Please don't ever stop being my friend, Mon!_ She doesn't really know what that was about. Why is he thinking she would stop being his friend? She never said anything about their friendship to him. Not that there is anything to talk about. He is her best friend and always will be. Growing up she couldn't really imagine having friends like she has now. All five of them. But with Chandler it's different, he is special. He will always be on top of her list. Above Rachel, who she's known the longest. Above Joey and Phoebe, who, in the last few years, got so important to her. Even above Ross, her brother, who she also counts to her closest friends. Chandler is the most important to her and Monica hates the idea of him thinking that may change in the future. Because it won't.

She looks at all the others who are staring at her. "Umm, he didn't feel well."

"He's acting weird lately", Ross says.

"He's acting weird all the time. He's Chandler!"

"Rach, he's not acting weird all the time. Right, he tells a lot of jokes, but that doesn't make him weird. It's…"

"Mon, calm down! Rachel didn't mean it that way. I get what she means though. He has always had a … well, _special_ personality. This isn't meant to sound offensive. We all like him as much as you…"

"Ross, I'm not sure about that one!" Phoebe interrupts Ross. "I think Mon likes Chandler a _little_ bit more than we do."

"That's not true!" Joey looks at Phoebe, indignantly.

"Joey, come on, I know Chandler and you are like brothers, but Monica wins at this!"

"I don't think so. Is it because of these ridiculous late night talks? 'Cause Chandler and I do that all the time."

"Really?" Phoebe looks at Joey, one of her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, all the time. Every time I come home from a date we have these meaningful conversations about…"

"… about the chick you scored. Maybe a sandwich you had earlier. Maybe sports. But Monica and Chandler talk about feelings, life, important stuff."

"Pheebs, how do you know what we talk about?"

"Well, I don't _know_. This is what I _suppose_ you guys talk about. Rach, can you pass me another slice of pizza, please?"

Monica smiles about Phoebe's fast change of subject.

"Do you want another slice, too, Joe?"

"No, thanks, Rach, I'm fine!"

Four pairs of eyes look at Joey, not believing that he just said no to a slice of pizza. That never happened before.

"What's wrong with you, dude?", Ross asks.

"Nothing. It's just not true that Monica likes Chandler more than I do."

"Oh, you're still on that topic. Look, Joey, don't take me serious. I just talk all the time, but it's not to be taken serious."

"Well, I'm gonna go next door now and check on him. 'Cause that's what best friends do." Joey gets up and walks out of the apartment.


	7. Chapter 7

_In the beginning this was a really short chapter as well. But then I decided I really want to have a Joey-Chandler-talk and when I look at all the reviews (thank you!) I realize I'm not the only one. :) I hope you like it. :) _

Chandler is sitting on his couch when Joey enters the apartment. He calmed down a bit, thinking about everything. He definitely came to the conclusion he would never do anything to risk losing Monica.

"Hey, man, are you alright?" Joey enters the apartment and sits down next to Chandler.

"Yeah, sure."

"You didn't seem like you are."

"But I am. Believe me, I am."

"Has it something to do with your secret girlfriend?"

"What?" Chandler looks at Joey, in disbelieve.

"Come on, even I figured it out by now. You are not that good at keeping secrets."

"I… I don't have a secret girlfriend!"

"Uhh, do you have a secret boyfriend?"

"Joey, I have neither of that!"

"Come on, you can tell me. I'm your best friend. I am, right?"

"Of course you are, Joey."

"If I wouldn't have to really talk to you I would run over to Phoebe and tell her. 'Cause she is thinking, Mon is your very best friend. And I knew that's not true!"

Joey is so happy about the fact that he is his best friend, that Chandler can't tell him the truth: Even though he always refers to Joey as his best friend, it's actually Monica. He could never tell Joey though, he wouldn't really understand.

"So, now that I'm your best friend, you can tell me: Who is your secret girlfriend?"

"Joey, I don't have a secret girlfriend!"

"But Rachel, Ross and Phoebe all think you do."

"What? Why?"

"Because you are acting … different lately."

"Since when?"

"I don't know. So you are not seeing anyone?"

"No." Not anymore!, Chandler thinks. But he wasn't thinking about the girl he in fact was secretly seeing since she stormed out of his apartment. He was too busy falling in love with his best friend. Wait, stop. He's not in love with Monica anymore. He told himself to stop. Well, who is he kidding? You can't stop falling in love with somebody. Because when you do, you do and there is no turning back.

"So what's wrong with you if it's not a secret girlfriend?"

Chandler looks at Joey. He has been there for him through thick and thin. Since they moved in together they both had ups and downs and he could always trust Joey. Maybe he should just tell him. It would be great to have someone to talk to. And since he can't talk about this to his favorite talking partner... Chandler sighs. Joey will understand him.

"Well, I kinda … umm, I kinda like this girl … and … well …" Chandler breaks off and looks to the ground.

"You're in love with a girl?" Joey is smiling while he says that.

"Kinda…"

"That's awesome, Chandler! How long do you know her?"

"It feels like I've known her for a lifetime."

"Wow, that sounds great. Do _I_ know her?"

"Well, I've already known her for a long time. But I only found out a few days ago." Chandler hopes Joey doesn't recognize that he didn't answer his questions. He doesn't really want to reveal that it's their friend Monica. But it's Joey, after all, and he is just smiling and pats Chandler on the shoulder.

"How did you find out?"

"I … I don't really know. It's just … she is beautiful, inside and out. When I look at her, it takes my breath away. I couldn't believe it before, but it really does. But then, it's also her big heart. She is the kindest person I know. And most of the time she laughs at my jokes. She actually likes them, well, some of them. But she also doesn't hesitate to tell me off when I'm being stupid or childish or … well, Chandler. She is …"

"Okay, I think I get it, Chandler", Joey laughs and interrupts his friend. "Wow, it's got you pretty badly, huh?"

"Well…" Chandler shrugs.

"Did you already tell her how you feel?"

"I could never do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm Chandler. I'm not good at this stuff."

"Okay, Chandler, listen to me. I can see that you never felt like this before. I haven't, to be honest. Well, I may not have to tell you that. You know already, right? But I haven't seen you like this before. Kinda sad, but also beaming of happiness when you talk about her. I'm not the guy to have a serious, long-term relationship. But I really think you are. Not like Ross, who has it with … like every woman he goes out with, but like you, like Chandler. When you find the right woman, I'm one hundred percent sure that you will be the most loving and committed boyfriend there will ever be. Not with all the women, but with the right one. And given to the fact that you can't stop smiling when you talk about her, I think she might be it."

"Sometimes you are really smart, Joey!" When he was listening to Joey he thought about Monica. _She might be it_, Joey said. And maybe, maybe she really is. His perfect woman. They would build their relationship on a strong and great friendship, that's for sure. There is still a voice in his head though. A voice that keeps telling him that he shouldn't ruin their friendship. But maybe he can't ruin their friendship. Maybe, even when he tells her and she says no, maybe they still can be friends.

"I have my bright moments, that's right!" Joey laughs.

"You know what, I think I'm gonna tell her."

Joey's eyes grow wide. "Really? You really gonna do it? Now?"

"No, actually I need a little while to figure out how to tell her. I think I'll tell her tomorrow. "

"You gonna do great, man!"

"Thanks, Joe, you really are a best friend!"

With that, Chandler turns around to his bedroom. He's gonna tell her in a way she can't say no to.

* * *

"Joey really took it hard, Phoebe", Rachel says.

Ross left shortly after Joey and the three girls are having a girly talk again.

"It is the truth though!", Phoebe defends herself.

"I don't know, Phoebe. Joey and Chandler are really close. I haven't seen two guys who are not gay and still close like the two of them."

"Of course, Mon, me neither. But, come on, you and Chandler? You are like … like … I don't know. You would make such a cute couple!"

"Phoebe, are you kidding me?" Monica looks at Phoebe, not believing what she just said.

"No, I really think you would fit perfectly."

"Me and Chandler? Dating? No! Never, that's … weird. Friends don't date!"

"I'm dating Ross", Rachel mumbles.

"That's not the same. He … he has always loved you and … and …."

"But we were friends. And we are dating now. So, it is possible."

"Yeah, okay, but … you know, we are a group of six people, three girls, three guys and … and you are dating Ross and if I'd date Chandler, that would just be too big of a coincidence. Phoebe would have to date Joey then! That would be weird."

"Hey!", Phoebe yells. "I could do a lot worse than Joey Tribbiani!"

"And you could do worse than Chandler, Mon! Believe me, dating your friend is really great!"

"No, that's just not happening. Sorry, girls!"

Phoebe and Rachel begin to talk about something else. But Monica is still thinking about Rachel's last sentence. How dating a friend is great. There are definitely some benefits, she can see that when she looks at Ross and Rachel. But Chandler and her are only friends and that's enough. She couldn't date Chandler anyway. He is the best friend, but kind of awkward when it comes to relationships. He's just not good with women. That's what he always says and she also saw it on various occasions. But on the other hand, even though he is awkward and weird around women, he never is around her. And Monica is sure about him behaving the same when they would have a relationship. Wait a minute! What was she thinking? Is she really thinking about a relationship with her friend Chandler? That's not gonna happen anyway. He is not boyfriend material. He _is_ cute though. And he cares about her like no one else does. She feels completely comfortable around him and couldn't think of a better way to calm her down than just being near him. Stop! Stop right there! It was just a few hours ago when he begged to never stop being his friend. That was a clear sign. He wants her as a friend. Of course, that's what she wants, too. But why is she sitting here between her girls thinking about a relationship with him? And why doesn't she think at all that it would be a bad idea?

Soon Phoebe decides to head home and Rachel wants to see what Ross is doing. Monica is still sitting on the couch, thinking. She barely realized that her friends had gone. Slowly she gets up. She's got a headache and badly needs some fresh air. She has to talk to Chandler about all of this. Most likely he will understand her. Maybe they can figure something out together. But not today. She will talk to him tomorrow. She might need one night to think about it. Buried in thoughts Monica leaves her building and crosses the street. She suddenly hears hard braking. But it's too late to react. Everything is getting dark around her. That's when she loses consciousness.


	8. Chapter 8

_I hope you are all still into this story, despite my terrible cliffhanger last chapter. ;) I just felt like writing something like that to give our two favorites a hard time. But don't worry: I love happy endings and in the end everything will be fine, believe me. :) To be honest, I don't really know much about hospitals (especially about hospitals in the US), so please don't take possible mistakes too seriously and try to focus on the story. :) Oh, and thank you for all of the reviews. They really make my days… I think I got addicted to writing again and that's just because of you! Thank you. :)_

Chandler is sitting on his bed, planning his day tomorrow. He's gonna tell Monica about his feelings tomorrow. By now he has it all planned out. He is a little excited. But not much. It's Monica after all. His best friend. Outside his window he hears the sirens of an ambulance. But he lived in the city long enough to not care about it anymore. He doesn't know why he noticed it. Normally he doesn't even hear the sounds anymore.

Suddenly his heart beat speeds up. It really is weird that he noticed the sirens of an ambulance. What's that supposed to mean? What if something terrible happened? His head is thumping. Something must be wrong. He rushes out of his apartment and into Monica's. The phone is ringing, but none of the girls seems to be there. Monica's room is empty. The phone is still ringing and it's driving Chandler insane, so he picks it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Monica Geller's apartment?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"It's the … hospital. Are you a friend of Miss Geller?"

"I am. What… what happened?" Chandler sinks down on the couch. He had this feeling that something terrible must have happened. He just knew it. That's why he came over. To check on Monica and see if she's alright.

"Miss Geller had an accident right outside her building. She got hit by a car. The ambulance was there very fast, but as soon as she reached the hospital her condition got worse. We tried to reach her family, but her brother isn't answering his phone. Is there any possibility you can pass this message to her family?"

"How bad is it?"

"She is … it may be time to prepare for a goodbye. I'm sorry."

_Time for a goodbye_. These four words keep repeating in Chandler's head. He couldn't believe what he just heard. This can't be it. She promised not to stop being his friend and now she … He couldn't even think about it.

* * *

When Joey comes back home he sees his and the girl's apartment door open. Wondering what happened he enters apartment 20 and sees Chandler sitting on the couch, his face white as snow.

"Chandler! What happened?"

Chandler looks at Joey. His mind is empty. "Umm… Mon, she … hospital … Monica!"

Joey is confused but when he sees the tears in his friend's eyes he gets it. "Mon is in the hospital?"

Chandler just nods his head. Joey sinks down next to him. By now tears are streaming down Chandler's face. Joey has never seen his friend like this before. That has to mean something. But he can't focus on that right now. He has to keep a cool head for Chandler, because obviously this guy can't think straight now.

"Okay, man, here is what we do: We gonna get a cab and go down to the hospital. Come on!"

As they walked down Chandler was leaning on Joey. He couldn't stand by himself anymore.

"I'm gonna lose my best friend", Chandler mumbles while the cab is driving through the dark streets of New York.

Joey doesn't even realize that Chandler referred to Monica as his best friend. All he could think about is his friend next to him, who looks like a picture of misery. "We are not gonna lose her, Chandler. She is the strongest woman I know and she's gonna fight like no one did before."

At the hospital they stop at the very first nurse they see.

"Monica Geller! We are looking for Monica Geller!", Joey shouts at her. Chandler is still leaning on him.

The nurse sees the fear in the eyes of the boys and explains the way to them right away. When they arrive in front of her room, a doctor is just about to leave.

"Are you here for Miss Geller?"

Joey nods. "Yes. How is she?"

"To be honest, it's not looking good. It's a miracle she survived the collision. She is in a coma right now. You can go see her, but one at a time first."

Joey looks at Chandler. He seems worse than before. "Hey, Chandler, how about you go in there and check on her and I'm gonna call Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and her parents."

Chandler nods gratefully and opens the door. The sound of the machines seems deafening. Chandler feels the urge of turning them off. Then he realizes that these machines are the only things that keep Monica alive and he couldn't love them more. Suddenly he sees the small figure lying on the bed. The woman has bruises everywhere and her eyes closed. Chandler needs a second to realize it's Monica he is looking at. She is just laying there, not moving a bit. He sinks down next to her bed and carefully takes her hand.

"Monica…", he whispers, his voice sounding strangely breathy. She looks peaceful and is still the most beautiful woman in the world to him. Under all the bruises he sees her beautiful face framed with her dark hair and he could imagine her opening her eyes and looking at him with her sparkling blue eyes. But of course she isn't gonna react.

Chandler sighs. He can't believe he has to see her like this. Why did this happen to her? And why didn't he tell her about his feelings earlier? If he would have went to her right after his talk with Joey he would have been with her. They would have talked and no one would have gone outside to get hit by a stupid car.

Deep inside Chandler knows he shouldn't blame himself. But he does anyway. Because it somehow is his fault. If he would have been with her … He would do everything to change places with her. In fact, there is nothing he wouldn't do to get Monica back.

* * *

Ross, Rachel and Phoebe came over to the hospital right away. Joey told them all he knows and they are now sitting in the waiting room.

"What about Chandler?", Rachel asks quietly.

"He was the one who got the phone call. It destroyed him. It honestly destroyed him. I haven't seen him like this before. If she … umm, if she doesn't make it, it'll kill him, that's for sure."

"Joey, don't even say that. She will make it", Phoebe yells.

A nurse approaches the group of friends. "Excuse me for interrupting you, but everyone has to leave our patients' rooms for the night. The man in Miss Geller's room is your friend, right? He didn't react when I asked him to leave the room. Is there any possibility you could talk to him?"

Joey knows that Chandler needs to be near Monica right now. Not so much for her, but for him. He gets up and speaks quietly to the nurse.

"Listen, I know rules are rules, but the guy in there is Miss Geller's boyfriend and there is no couple who love each other more than these two, believe me. But they just realized yesterday, right before the accident. If you separate them now you take the little time they have probably left. Please, let him stay with her. It'll help them both."

The nurse listened to Joey story and nods. "Alright, but don't tell anybody. I just let him stay because I'm so romantic and this is the cutest story I've heard in a long time."

"Thank you. I'll talk to him."

Joey enters Monica's room and sees Chandler sitting there, holding Monica's hand and looking at her.

"It's her, right?"

Chandler hasn't realized Joey entered the room and now looks at him in shock. He doesn't answer, just looks at him.

"The girl you talked to me about. It's Monica, right? You're in love with Monica."

Tears are starting to fill Chandler's eyes again. Joey doesn't need an answer. He knows he's right. He has seen it in the way Chandler behaves, how he looks at her and in his eyes filling with tears.

"Listen, there are no visitors allowed in the patients' rooms during the night, but I told the nurse you're her boyfriend and need to stay in here, so she's gonna let you stay. We are all outside, if you need anything, okay?"

Chandler nods before his eyes fall back on Monica.


	9. Chapter 9

_Thanks for all the reviews again. :) So I decided to give Joey a bigger role in this than I've first planned. Enjoy. :)_

"We gotta do something, Joey!", Rachel pleads. They all went to work this morning because the doctor said there isn't much they could do anyway. So they all went. They couldn't convince Chandler to come though. Joey wasn't surprised. He has seen the look on Chandler's face last night and knows that there is nothing anyone could do to get him away from Monica.

"Look, I don't know what to do! He isn't even talking to us. He isn't talking at all, just sitting there."

"The problem is, he hasn't eaten or drunken anything in the last 24 hours. He hasn't even left the room. That's not healthy!"

They are all back in the hospital now. Like the doctor said, nothing has changed during the day. Chandler is still sitting by Monica's side and the four friends are really worried by now.

"We need to get him out of the room!", Ross states.

"Right. All we need is a plan. Think, people, think!" Phoebe is desperate.

"I have an idea. It might work", Joey says and gets up. "You stay here, I go talk to him."

Everyone is looking at Joey as he enters Monica's room.

Rachel shakes her head. "It's weird. We always think Joey is kinda dumb, but right now, he seems like the smartest of us all. How is he keeping a cool head in all of this? I can't even concentrate on anything else than Monica."

"You're right", Phoebe agrees. "We are so lucky we have Joey. Without him we'd probably all be like Chandler. I only hope he gets through to him."

* * *

"Hey man, we are back. How are you doing?" Joey keeps his voice down, but Chandler understands everything. He looks horrible though. His hair is greasy, his eyes don't shine anymore, his face looks pale.

"Chandler?" Joey grabs Chandler's shoulder. "Rachel and Phoebe would really like to see and talk to Monica. How about we go down to the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat? Ross will stay in the waiting room with his parents and he can come down if anything changes with … Monica. You won't miss anything."

Chandler shrugs and Joey helps him get up. They leave the room slowly, Chandler's eyes still not leaving Monica.

"Hey, guys, we are going to eat something. Rach, Pheebs, you can go talk to her now. And Ross, you will tell us if anything happens, right?"

At the cafeteria Joey buys Chandler a sandwich and a bottle of water. They sit down on a table and remain silent for a while. Chandler takes a sip of his drink and puts the bottle down again.

"You truly love her, huh?" Joey doesn't know how to get Chandler to talk. He hasn't seen his friend like this before and doesn't really know what to do. Normally, in such a case, they would all agree to ask Monica and she would definitely get through to him. Monica would know what to do and make him himself again.

"Ye…", Chandler opens his mouth but his voice breaks. He clears his throat and tries again. "Yeah. How?"

"How I know? Chandler, please, yesterday you told me 'bout that girl you like and then I see you looking at her like … with an expression of pure love in your eyes. I was surprised I didn't see your pupils shaped like little hearts. I mean, I love her, too, but she is like another sister to me. Same as Phoebe and Rachel. But you, you are different with her than with the other girls. She is not only your best friend. And believe me, I always knew, even though you tried to tell me that I in fact am your best friend. I don't care, because I see you together and just know that no one can ever be as close as the two of you."

"She … she promised she'd never leave me and now …"

Joey looks at his friend. He doesn't even look like Chandler anymore.

"See? She promised you. Do you really think she doesn't keep her promise? I mean, come on, this woman always wins!"

"I'm so scared."

"You think it's your fault, right?"

"Why didn't I talk to her right after we talked yesterday?"

"It's not your fault, Chandler. Who says that it wouldn't have happened anyway? I mean maybe she would have run outside the building to think things over after you told her. That's possible."

"Yeah, but at least she'd know I love her." Wow, that was the first time he said it out loud. Joey hasn't had any doubts that he was right, but to hear Chandler say it makes it even more real.

"I'm pretty sure she already knows, Chandler. Maybe not the way you feel about her now, but she knows that she's up there for you. Everybody knows _that_."

"Please don't tell anyone about … all that."

"Under one condition: when you and Monica are a couple, I get to be your best friend."

For the first time in a day Chandler's lips form a smile. "You already are. Thanks, Joey. For … the talk. Oh, and by the way, thanks for the sandwich!"

"No problem. You paid for like a million sandwiches I ate. It was time to pay you back."

* * *

When Chandler comes back to Monica's room Phoebe and Rachel are still there. The three of them look at their friend.

Phoebe sighs. "She's gonna get through it, right?"

Rachel nods. "Yeah. I mean, she still has a lot to do in her life. She really has to find a boyfriend who loves her just the way she is. She will marry him and have beautiful children and they are gonna be the greatest family in the world. And Monica's gonna be this amazing chef who owns a restaurant and …"

Rachel stops talking and brushes some tears away. Chandler puts one arm around her and the other one around Phoebe.

"Chandler? Do you remember how … after … this wedding … she was devastated, but you somehow made her feel better. Please make her feel better now. I know you can do it."

Chandler gives Phoebe and Rachel a squeeze before they leave the room. Slowly Chandler sits down again. Rachel's right. By sitting here, thinking about how all of this is his fault he won't help Monica. Maybe he should talk to her. He heard that some people in a coma hear the noises and voices around them.

"Okay, Mon, you know how much I love our late night talks, but this is not the same. I don't wanna sit here, next to you, and talk without you ever responding. That's just not fun."

Chandler sighs. It's not working. He can't make jokes now.

"Hey, Monica, I just want you to remember something. You promised me to never stop being my friend and it's just not fair. Because right now it seems like you are stopping. And I can't stand the fact about you not being around me anymore. You are not getting rid of me like that. When you wake up now I'm gonna tell you something that only Joey knows by now. I'm not gonna tell you while your eyes are closed. That's not how it's gonna be, because … you know … I really wanna look in your eyes when I tell you. In your sparkling, blue …"

"Excuse me?"

Chandler looks at the nurse who is now standing right next to him. He hasn't heard her come in.

"The doctor has to check on Miss Geller, could you please wait outside for a few minutes? You can tell your girlfriend everything you want when he is done."

* * *

Rachel is looking at Chandler who is walking up and down next to Monica's door. The doctor is in there for a while now and Chandler seems nervous. Rachel wonders once again what it is between Monica and Chandler.

"So, Joey, Phoebe thinks Monica is the mysterious girlfriend of Chandler. Do you know anything?"

Rachel watches Joey closely. But his facial expression reveals nothing.

"There is no secret girlfriend, guys!"

"But how … why? You always thought so, too!"

"But there isn't. I know for sure."

Just then the nurse and the doctor approach the group of friend.

The doctor sighs. "I guess, I've got some bad news. Her heart is very weak. There is nothing I can do. Chances are very slim she's gonna make it. I'm so…"

He gets interrupted by Chandler who storms out of the waiting room.

Joey jumps up from his chair as well. "Oh no, I hope he doesn't do anything stupid."

* * *

When Chandler hears what the doctor said, he loses ground. This can't be it. He's not gonna let her die. With his heart beating he stops at Monica's bed and takes her hand.

"Okay, that's it, Monica!" He knows he is yelling, but he can't help it. "You are not gonna die now. Not before I haven't had the chance to … to spend the rest of my life with you. Your heart is weak? Yeah, well, my heart is strong. Can you feel it?" He puts her hand down on his chest where his heart is, his own hand above hers. "My heart is strong and it's beating for you, Monica! If you stop fighting now I will…" Suddenly he feels her hand moving. Reflexively he lets go her hand and jumps back.

"Unbelievable", mumbles the nurse, who is also standing in the room with the doctor and Joey.

"I've never seen anything like that before." The doctor shakes his head. "Looks like she's coming back to us. Okay, I need all of you to leave the room!"

Chandler looks at Monica, not believing what just happened. Even though he told her to wake up he didn't believe she will. He was already preparing his farewell speech…

He stumbles across the room to Joey, falls in his arms and begins to cry like he never cried before.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks for all your reviews again. You are amazing! :) Unfortunately this is a short chapter, but I really wanted to write something before Easter and time was short the last few days… So, yeah, enjoy it anyway!_

Everyone is talking excitedly next to him, but Chandler cannot really concentrate on what his friends are saying. The mood is weird, because no one knows exactly what just happened. Chandler can still feel Monica's hand moving on his chest. He cried for a long time after that, not believing what that has to mean. Luckily Joey explained everything there is to know to the others, because Chandler wasn't able to.

Did he really confess to Monica he wants to spend the rest of his life with her? Unbelievable. How could he? He was yelling all this stuff at her. When he heard the doctor talking about Monica not making it he kinda lost it.

The fact that Monica moved her hand right after he yelled at her, might mean that she heard anything. And that would be terrible. He wanted to tell her while looking into her eyes, he planned everything but now he just ruined it. If she really heard what he'd said, he can never look at her again. It's embarrassing.

A few seconds later the doctor comes out of the room. Ross jumps up immediately. The doctor is smiling, which Chandler takes as a good sign.

"I still can't believe it, but she got out of the coma. She is very weak now, but she's gonna be alright!"

Chandler buries his face in his hands. Tears of relief are streaming down his face. He looks up and sees Rachel and Phoebe, also crying.

"Can we see her?", Ross asks.

The doctor nods. "Yes, sure. But please only a few minutes. She needs a lot of rest."

Rachel, Phoebe and Ross go into Monica's room. Joey stands up as well, but looks at Chandler.

"Are you coming?"

Chandler shakes his head slowly. "I don't … No, I … I need a minute."

Joey sits down next to Chandler again. "What's up?"

"It's just… what I said … if she heard it I can probably never look into her eyes ever again. It's … embarrassing."

"I don't think Monica will think it's embarrassing, Chandler. I'm pretty sure you are the one she wants to see the most. Come on, come with me. I don't think there is anything you could do to ruin your friendship with her."

"Well, I … I think … I can't even look her in the eyes anymore. I … I just need some time before I can go in there."

"Alright. I'm gonna go check on her."

* * *

Monica is laying in her bed and looking at her friends. Her head aches and she feels very weak. No one has told her what really happened and she is afraid to ask. The last thing she remembers is all of them sitting in her apartment having pizza. Chandler was behaving weird, it was like he wasn't even paying attention to what all of them talked about.

The next thing she remembers is opening her eyes and the doctor next to her. He hasn't said much. He was mumbling something about a miracle. But Monica didn't understand what he meant.

Everyone is asking her if there is anything she needs, if she feels alright or misses anything. Monica can't really concentrate on all the talking around her. It's too much. She is so happy to see her friends around her, but she just can't handle them all at the time. Above all she misses the most important to her.

"Rach, where is Chandler?"

"To be honest, I don't know. Must have stayed in the waiting room."

"Could you please go and get him? I really want to see him."

* * *

"Hey, Chandler, are you coming?" Rachel is approaching him and Chandler still doesn't know what to do. He hasn't figured it out yet. "Mon asked for you. She really wants to see you too."

Sighing Chandler gets up. He has to go in there sometime. So he can also do it now. Shaky-legged he follows Rachel. When he enters the room and catches a look on Monica his heart skips a beat before it begins to beat even faster than before. She looks thinner and her skin is pale, but she's still Monica.

He can't look into her eyes, so he hides a little bit behind Ross. He doesn't have to talk anyway, because all the others are talking the whole time, telling Monica stories. So Chandler just stands there and watches Monica. She looks tired and Chandler can't blame her. She has a lot to handle right now and she probably needs some rest.

"I think we should go home", he says before he really thought about it.

The others look at him.

"Why? It's not that late."

"Guys, come on, I'm sure Monica is very tired and really wants to sleep right now. We can come back tomorrow."

Ross doesn't really agree on Chandler's suggestion. "I don't know. Mon, what do you think?"

Monica looks at Chandler and gives him a small, grateful smile. "I'm really tired and I'd love some sleep, to be honest."

"Alright", Ross agrees. "But we come back tomorrow!"

"Sure, I'm looking forward to it!"

Ross gives his sister a little kiss on the cheek. "If there is anything you need, call me, alright?"

"Get well soon, Mon!"

"Yeah, we miss you." Phoebe and Rachel squeeze Monica's hand.

"It's gonna be alright, Monica!" Joey smiles at Monica first, then he looks at Chandler, gives him a wink and turns to leave with the others.

"Bye, Mon!", Chandler mumbles and turns around as well.

The five friends are just about to leave the hospital room when they hear Monica's voice again. "Chandler? Stay with me for a little longer?"

Chandler turns around again, frightened. He looks at Joey and the others. Joey nods slightly. Chandler clears his throat. "Sure. I see you guys later!"

* * *

Monica watches Chandler. He looks different. He behaves different as well. She expected him to come in with the others. Even now he seems a little ashamed. He is standing near the door and is looking at the floor. She pats on the edge of her bed.

"Come on, Chandler, sit down. I'm not infectious." She smiles at him but he doesn't look at her.

Silently he is sitting on her bed, not moving.

"Can you tell me what really happened, Chandler? I've got the feeling no one is telling me what happened."

"I… I don't know. You shouldn't hear that…"

"I need to know, Chandler. Please!"

Chandler sighs and begins to tell. He explains her how he got the phone call. How Joey found him and drove to the hospital with him. How everyone was so worried. He doesn't tell her how she woke up though.

"And … Do you know how I … woke up again? I didn't hear anything, but I remember feeling … something. It was like … suddenly … my heart knew how to beat again. Like … someone told my heart not to give up. Do you know … something?"

Chandler shakes his head. But something in his look tells Monica he isn't telling the whole truth. Monica thinks about digging a little deeper, but decides not to. Chandler doesn't look like he is going to tell her more.

"So, what did you do the last few days?", Monica tries a change of subject. But it looks like Chandler doesn't feel like joking. He looks at her sadly.

Suddenly he clears his throat. "Monica, the doctor said there is almost no chance you gonna make it. Do you really think I was doing anything other than worrying about you? I thought I was gonna lose you and I couldn't stand the thought of it. So, you want to know what I was doing the last few days? I was sitting on this chair right here, hoping you would keep your promise and not leave me."

After his outburst Monica realizes that Chandler was so frightened of losing her that he couldn't even think about anything else. The last few days must have been terrible for him. What would she had felt if it would have been her to watch one of her friends like that? She would have been worried, desperate, devastated. Monica looks at Chandler again and her heart breaks a little. He looks lost and probably just needs some comforting.

Monica opens her arms and smiles at Chandler. "Would you give me a hug?"

And when he wraps his arms around her, squeezes her tightly and buries his head in her hair she knows that she needs this hug just as much as he does.


	11. Chapter 11

_Happy easter!_

After a few days in the hospital, Monica was able to go home again. She still needs a lot of rest and isn't allowed to work yet, but just being in her own apartment makes her feel better. It's another night where her five friends hang around in her apartment, not really doing anything, but enjoying the time together. The shock after the accident is gone and everyone is back to his former self again. Even Chandler. He and Monica spent a lot of time together the last days and by now it really is like before the accident.

There is something she is still thinking about though. She knows that, right before the accident, she realized something important. But she can't remember anything. The last thing she knows is still all of them sitting right here, eating pizza and discussing why some men want children and some don't. There is something, in the corner of her mind, that happened after that. But what? Maybe it was just a thought of her … The uncertainty drives Monica insane.

"Guys, do you know what happened right before the accident?", she interrupts everyone.

They all look at her in disbelieve. It's like an unwritten rule that they don't really talk about the accident. Except for Chandler no one wants to talk to her about this topic. She did talk to Ross and the girls about the accident, but not about the important stuff. They always seem to avoid this topic.

"What do you mean?" Ross is confused.

"I … I feel like something happened right before the accident, but I just can't remember. It might has just been a thought of mine, but maybe it's something that happened and you know it?"

Monica doesn't miss the look which Phoebe throws at Rachel.

"Girls, do you know anything?"

But both of them shake their head.

"Come on, you guys hang out here all the time. How come you don't get what's going on in my head?"

"Well, we haven't found the key yet!"

Monica rolls her eyes at Chandler. There was something, she knows it and she's gonna find out what. If the others don't want to help her, doesn't matter, she's gonna figure it out all by herself.

Later that night Monica is getting ready to sleep. She still hasn't got a clue what happened before the accident. When she exits the bathroom she sees Rachel sitting on the couch looking at her.

"Hey, Rachel, I thought you're spending the night at Ross's?"

"I kinda wanna talk to you, Mon. Do you wanna sit down for a while?"

Monica is very tired, but Rachel's concern seems urgent, so she sits down next to her friend.

"Is there anything you wanna tell me, Rachel?"

"Well, I've been thinking. About your question earlier. You know, what happened before the accident."

Monica sits up and listens attentively. "Do you know anything?"

"Maybe… You still remember how we all had pizza that night, right?" Monica nods. "And then Chandler left, no idea why! And shortly after that Joey and Ross left as well and it was just us girls."

"What did we do?"

"Just talking, like always."

"So nothing happened?"

"Not really, no. But maybe it'll help you if I tell you what we talked about. We talked about friends dating. About me and Ross. And about you and …"

"Chandler!"

Suddenly Monica remembers everything.

_You would make such a cute couple! _Phoebe.

_And you could do worse than Chandler, Mon! _Rachel.

That's it. They talked about her and Chandler dating and suddenly she wasn't even disliking it anymore. That's what she realized that night: It wouldn't be the worst to date Chandler. And she wanted to talk to him about it. She wanted to…

"Mon? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Did I help you?"

"Ma… maybe."

"Okay, I'm gonna go to bed now, Mon. See you tomorrow!" With that Rachel leaves her alone.

Monica loves Rachel for not asking any questions right now. She has to figure it out all by herself again and then talk to Chandler about all that. She doesn't need Rachel giving her any well-meant advice. With a small smile in her face Monica makes her way to her bedroom.

* * *

The next day Monica has a lot of time to think about everything. Everyone she knows is at work, but she is not allowed to work yet. She decided to just talk to Chandler about her thoughts. They always talk about everything, so that shouldn't be a problem. She is a little excited though, because she doesn't know how he is gonna react.

She hasn't seen him the whole day, he wasn't even there at breakfast. So he must have gone to work early and be back by now. Monica takes a deep breath and walks out of her apartment. She opens the door of apartment 19 and bumps into Chandler.

"Oh, hey, Chandler!"

"H-hey Monica. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something. But you seem like you're about to leave!?"

"N-no, I wanted to get you. I … I have … umm … something to tell you as well."

Chandler's blushing. Why is he blushing? Monica is confused. He looks at the floor instead of her. What is going on?

"So? What's it you wanna tell me?"

"I … There is something in my room. Do you wanna see it?"

"Sure."

They are walking besides each other. Monica's hand brushes Chandler's and he pulls it back. When Chandler opens the door to his room Monica can't believe her eyes. He lit some candles on his nightstand, next to them there are two steaming cups of tea, the scent of her favorite tea everywhere. Monica's eyes get wet.

"Chandler", she mumbles.

She hears Chandler taking a deep breath. "It … I … wanted … I … you … it is …"

"Hey", Monica whispers and puts one of her fingers on Chandler's mouth to stop his stuttering. Then she cups his face in her hands, stands up on tiptoes and slowly approaches his face. When their lips slowly meet Monica can't think straight anymore. Blood is rushing through her body and she loses herself in the kiss.

But suddenly, after only a few seconds, Chandler grabs her shoulders and pushes her away.


	12. Chapter 12

_Are you excited about what's gonna happen next? ;) Here you go, enjoy the chapter! :)_

Feeling Monica's lips on his was too much for Chandler. It was like electricity shooting through his whole body. These few seconds where enough for him. He just couldn't take it anymore. His feelings for her are just too strong. But as he sees the look on Monica's face now he knows that he hurt her feelings with his reaction.

She turns to leave and it literally breaks his heart. He puts a hand on her shoulder until she turns around again.

"Mon …"

"What, Chandler? What?"

By now tears are streaming down her face and Chandler would do anything to stop her from crying.

"I'm sorry. I didn't push you away because I didn't want to kiss you, but because I wanted to do just that since I found out … what you mean to me." Monica buries her face in her hands, but Chandler puts her hands down and pulls her close. "Don't cry, Mon, 'cause you mean … more to me than anyone before. You always have."

Chandler didn't even realize he was holding his breath until he breaths out now. He was planning and thinking about this moment for days now, but he couldn't imagine the feelings he is feeling now. Just to hold Monica makes him the happiest man on the planet. Her head on his chest, his head on her hair and both arms looped around her – he could stay like this forever. Monica's heart beats as fast as his. She's still crying, he feels tears dripping on his sweater.

After what feels like hours Monica lifts her head and looks at him. Chandler feels like drowning in these blue eyes he has probably seen more times than his own. There are no tears in her eyes anymore. She is just looking at him, a small smile on her lips.

"So, what did you wanna tell me, Mon?" Now, that everything is alright, Chandler is totally in the mood for chattering and joking again.

"I just wanted to ask for some milk…", Monica says, a big smile on her face. Chandler bursts out laughing. This woman is just the best. She not only understands his jokes and laughs at them, but can also be just as sarcastic as him.

"You are the best. And if you want, I go and get a glass of milk for you."

"No, actually I wanted to tell you that I remembered what I was thinking right before the accident…"

"So?"

"I was thinking about you and me and this … thing we did just a few minutes ago." Monica smiles at Chandler, who still has his arms around her loosely.

"Well, that actually sounds great, because I was thinking about the same thing."

"Since when?"

"I think it was the night when you came over after your nightmare. That's when it kinda hit me. That's when I realized why you are so much more important to me than anyone else."

"And why's that?"

"Because you are always stealing our milk!" Chandler chuckles.

"Excuse me, you and Joey come over to our place all the time. And it's a problem when I come over once a year and borrow some milk?" Monica playfully puts her arms akimbo.

"Well, let me tell you this: You can have everything you want."

"Everything?"

"Everything", Chandler says and leans down to her. He approaches her face slowly, but when their lips meet, he can't take it slow anymore. This kiss is so much better than their first one. Chandler holds Monica tightly. He can't be close enough to her. Holding and kissing Monica is the best thing he has ever felt. He wouldn't trade that for the world. He would choose holding Monica over everything without even thinking about it.

Their kiss gets more intense. A little moan escapes Monica's mouth. Chandler pulls away and looks at her.

"I… I really want to take things slowly, Mon. If that's in any sort okay with you."

"That's alright, I think so, too", she smiles at him. "If you just hold me and never let go of me again."

Not for all the money in the world would Chandler let go of her. Now that he has her he would do anything to keep her and spend the rest of his life with her. The weirdest thing is, he doesn't even panic at that thought. With all the other women he was seeing in the last few years he couldn't even picture the next day. With Monica it's different. He could totally see her in his life when they are old. Maybe because it has always been like that. Since the first moment he met her, he knew that this girl has to stay in his life, whatever the cost. In the past he thought about her staying as his friend, but now … her being his friend is not enough anymore. He wants her around him all the time.

A little while later they sneak into bed not letting go of each other one second. Monica snuggles close to him and Chandler can't help but smile.

"What do you think the others are gonna say about … that?" Chandler points between them.

"I think, Rachel and Phoebe are gonna freak out. In a good way though. They were always trying to convince me of considering … me and you."

"They did?" Chandler is surprised. He always thought, Phoebe and Rachel see him as this goofy guy who isn't able to … even have a girlfriend.

"Yeah, totally. I always thought they are behaving silly, but, hey, maybe they weren't silly after all."

"Maybe?"

"For sure." Monica kisses his cheek. "I realized it eventually and was shocked. The night I realized it I needed some fresh air and went outside and then this car came …"

"That's why?" Chandler shivers and pulls her even closer. "So it _is_ my fault that …"

"It wasn't your fault. But I don't wanna talk about this now, Chandler. How do you think Joey's gonna react?"

"He already knows about my feelings towards you so he probably won't be that surprised."

"What? You told him? You guys chatter a lot more than us girls!"

"No, guys don't chatter."

"But you and Joey do."

"Yeah, well…"

"Will you ever like me as much as you like Joey?" Monica chuckles. Chandler knows she's joking, but he is somehow confused that Monica might not know she's the one he always liked the most.

"No, I don't think that's possible. You are gonna have to share me with Joey, there's no other way."

"So, did you tell him about your feelings?"

"He kinda figured it out himself."

"What? Joey?"

"Yes, as weird as it sounds. I was telling him about that girl I have a … umm … crush on and after that … incident … he somehow figured it out. Don't ask me why!"

"Why?"

"Did you even hear what I just said?"

"Come on, you know why. Tell me!"

"Are you gonna boss me around every day now?"

"I did that all the time, didn't you notice?"

"Yeah, I did. But I liked you anyway. That's how indulgent I am."

"You truly are, but don't try to change the subject, mister! Why did Joey figure it out?"

"Well, he saw me look at you while you were in the hospital. I was sitting next to you and …"

"It was you, wasn't it?"

"What?"

"While I was in that coma I couldn't hear anything, but I felt someone next to me. I knew there was someone near who wouldn't let me … umm … die. After I woke up again I thought I was just imagining that. 'Cause I was sure no one would sit at my bed day and night, doing nothing but hold my hand."

Chandler doesn't know what to say. In the hospital he was almost sure that she heard everything they said to her. But it was different. She felt it. She felt _him_. He intertwines his fingers with hers and remains silent.

"It was you, Chandler. I don't believe you did that. You stayed with me day and night?"

"Mon", Chandler clears his throat, because his voice sounds rough. "Mon, the way I was and still am feeling, I would have done much more if I'd knew it would help. You are my favorite and the most important person in my life."

Chandler looks to the beautiful woman next to him, who has always been this person to him. She has tears in her eyes. He leans down to her, cups her face in his hands and kisses away her tears. Monica wants to look away, but Chandler holds her head and keeps looking in these wonderful eyes.

"And if you are thinking about trying to ever leave me again, …"

"I won't." Monica sobs and shakes her head.

"That's good. 'Cause I wouldn't let you."

There is a comfortable silence in the room. Chandler hears Monica breathing. He knows she is worrying about something. He has known her long enough.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Well, we talked about Joey and Rachel and Phoebe. I'm just thinking about Ross and how he is gonna react…"

"What do you think?"

"He was never over-protective, but he might be now, after what happened with Richard."

"He loves you and only wants the best for you. I think if we show him that I'm the best for you, he'll be alright with it."

"He will, I'm sure. But I don't know if we should tell him right now. Everything is finally back to normal after the accident and I don't wanna shock them again…"

"Is me and you dating a shock for you?"

"Not for me, no, but it might be for Ross. Can we just keep it for ourselves some time?"

"We sure can. As long as you still stay with me tonight!"

"What? I thought we are gonna take things slowly?"

"We are. But I still wanna sleep with you next to me. I want you to snuggle close to me and I want to hold you, kiss you and fall asleep with you next to me. That's what we gonna do now!"

"Okay!"

"Wow, you let me boss around you, too?"

"Only because there is no better idea than yours. Don't get used to it!"

"I think I'm totally getting used to you laying next to me."

"That you are allowed." Monica gives him a peck on the lips and crawls under the covers. Chandler lays down next to her and pulls her close.

"Good night, Chandler!"

"Good night, Monica." Chandler smiles.

He is the luckiest man in the world. Their cuddling and kissing is totally enough for now. He just enjoys having his arms looped around her. Chuckling silently he shakes his head. Some days ago he couldn't find sleep with someone that near to him. He was even considering talking to Ross about how he is getting his own space to sleep with Rachel. Chandler was sure Ross would have helped him with a little trick. But with Monica it feels just right. It seems like she belongs in his arms. Right now he couldn't even think of sleeping without her close to him ever again.

Chandler buries his nose in Monica's hair. It was an awesome day. And with Monica by his side, he knows one thing for sure: There are gonna be a lot of these in the future.


	13. Chapter 13

_Thanks so much for all of your reviews. It's overwhelming, I never thought I'm gonna get so many of them for this story. :) Oh, and by the way, there's only gonna be one chapter left after this, so you – as well as me – have to start saying goodbye to this story. :( But there is gonna be a lot of Mondler-mush in the last two chapters… ;)_

Monica wakes up by someone kissing her cheek. She's still half asleep and doesn't really know what that has to mean. But she knows one thing: No one woke her up like this ever before. She feels two arms around her and a body close to hers. She smiles, her eyes still closed.

"Hey, Mon, it's time to wake up!" This voice sounds like … Chandler. Chandler? Monica opens her eyes straightaway. But when she looks at these blue eyes watching her, everything comes rushing back.

Chandler has a questioning look on his face. "What's wrong? You look shocked!"

"Nothing's wrong." Monica sits up. It's true. It wasn't just a dream. She and Chandler … they really had this talk, they kissed, they fell asleep cuddled up next to each other. And it was the best night ever.

"Didn't you sleep well?"

"I did. I had the best sleep ever. I only thought it was … just a dream. And now I'm really happy it wasn't. Good morning, Chandler."

"Good morning, baby."

Monica starts to wonder at this term of endearment, but she hasn't got the time for that. Chandler presses his lips against hers and Monica is melting away. She never thought she would feel like that kissing her best friend. Why is she not feeling the urge to stop it? It's Chandler after all. But she doesn't ever want to stop it. It feels so good and not at all awkward. Monica puts her arms around Chandler's neck. They sink back onto the bed again.

"Oh, wow, Mon!" Chandler pulls her close and she beds her head on his chest. "You are the most beautiful woman in the morning. I … I mean, you always are, but, wow … I don't know what to say."

"That's alright. I know what you want to say. Right now, I might be the happiest person in the world."

"I don't think that's true."

"It is. Can you think of anyone?"

"Yeah, me. I'm definitely happier."

"I'm sure I am."

"I don't really wanna have our first fight right now, Mon."

Monica grins. "First fight about who's happier. I can live with that."

They lay next to each other silently for a little while. Chandler is drawing little circles on Monica's hair, which gives her goosebumps.

"What are we having for breakfast, Chandler?"

"Well, I have this friend of mine, she makes the best breakfast ever."

"And?"

"How about we sneak over at her place, steal some of her breakfast and come back here again. 'Cause she is a neat freak and also always trying to hit on me. I think she has a little crush on me, it's annoying, but what can I do?"

"How about you stay here and I go over to your friend, tell her what an arrogant idiot you are, become her friend and team up against you?"

"How about we stay here all day and I show you what a great and caring guy I really am?"

"Sounds appealing, but talking about breakfast I got pretty hungry. Come on, get up, you lazy man!"

"Would you stop calling me names?"

"Oh, honey, did I hurt you?"

"Get out of my bed, now!"

"I'd rather stay here…"

"Out!" Chandler springs at Monica and starts to tickle her. Monica jumps out of the bed, giggling all the time. Chandler follows her, catches her and presses a kiss on her cheek.

"Let's go and get some breakfast", Chandler says and takes Monica's hand.

Before he opens the door, Monica holds him back. "Wait. Are we still on the same page? We are not telling the others yet?"

"I would love to shout it from the rooftops. I mean, come on, no one ever expected me to get a girl like you! But I do think it's best we don't tell our friends yet."

"Okay. And, Chandler? I always knew you one day are gonna find the right girl. I always knew that."

"I'm so glad you are it."

When they stand in front of apartment 20 they hear voices.

"Oh no, they are all here…" Monica's a little disappointed.

"So we won't gonna have breakfast in your bed? Too bad."

"Chandler, you gonna have let go of my hand."

"I don't wanna." Chandler grabs her hand even tighter.

Monica smiles. She would love to tell everyone right now just to keep holding his hand. But she still thinks it's best to keep the secret for a little while. If they tell their friends now they won't have a minute for themselves. They are all gonna wanna talk about it and ask question. The girls would want to hear every little detail, Joey would also wanna know everything and Ross … well, she still doesn't know how her brother's gonna react.

"Chandler, the quicker we go in there now the quicker we can take off and be for ourselves again."

"Okay, one last kiss though!" Monica cups his face for a fast kiss.

"This wasn't even a kiss, another one, please!" Chandler pulls the face which he knows Monica cannot resist. They kiss again.

"And another one." Kiss number three.

"Okay, that's enough." Monica laughs. As gladly as she would like to keep kissing him, but she's really nervous someone's gonna come out and catch them.

"A last last one?" That smile, Monica isn't able to resist it. Sighing she stands up on her tiptoes and kisses Chandler again. This kiss is longer than the ones before. Monica doesn't even care about someone catching them anymore. So what? After all she's been through she deserves all of that.

Breathing heavenly she breaks away and smiles at Chandler. "Let's go inside", she whispers.

With the door knob in her hands, Chandler turns her around again, presses another quick kiss on her lips and smiles.

"I can't stop, help me, Mon!"

"Oh, I'm gonna help you, baby!", Mon laughs and opens the door to her apartment. She is still laughing out loud and Chandler couldn't help but laugh as well at this beautiful noise out of her mouth.

Four pairs of eyes are looking at them.

"Good morning!", Monica yells, still laughing.

"Wow, you are in a good mood, Mon!", Phoebe says.

"And we were getting worried. Where were you?", Ross asks, worry written all over his face.

"Well … last night I … I went over to Chandler's because I … I needed to talk to him. I must have fallen asleep while talking. I'm sorry. I hope you haven't worried too much, Ross." Monica decides to tell the story with as much truth as possible. She gives Chandler a wink and Ross a hug.

"And where does your good mood comes from?", Rachel asks, curiously.

"Why shouldn't I be happy? It's a great day!"

"Mon, it's raining."

Monica looks at her friends. Four of them are looking at her like she lost her mind. One is smiling at her. He is so cute when he smiles like that. Monica feels butterflies in her stomach. She's gotta be careful. If she keeps on laughing and beaming of joy they might notice something's different. But it's difficult. She can't stop smiling. She feels like her heart is going to overflow. Suddenly Monica begins to question her idea of keeping this thing between them a secret.

Chandler approaches her. "I love how cheerful you are, but you gotta be careful. If you don't stop smiling like that I promise I will kiss you right here in front of all of them."

Monica grins and squeezes his hand.

"I think, what Mon wants to say, is", Chandler begins and places his arm loosely around Monica's shoulder. This gesture makes Monica smile even wider. "that it's a beautiful day, because we are all able to have breakfast together."

"But we always do that", Joey looks at his friend.

"Well, sure. But that's what we should be thankful for. How many people, do you think, are able to enjoy breakfast with their closest friends almost every day? That fact makes this day to the best ever!"

Ross and Joey shake their head while Rachel and Phoebe look at them curiously. Monica looks back at them. There is something in their eyes. Did they already figure out what gives Chandler and Monica the good mood? Possible …

Monica turns around to open her fridge. After a few seconds she closes it again and looks at her friends.

"Oh no, Chandler, can I go over to your place and get some … milk? We are out of it." Chandler raises an eyebrow and chuckles. Monica never lied as bad as just now.

"Sure, Mon, but let me show you the … milk!" He puts a hand on Monica's back and guides her out of the apartment.

As soon as they enter Chandler's apartment Monica throws his arms around him and begins to kiss him.

* * *

"What is wrong with them?", Ross asks his friends as soon as Chandler and Monica left the apartment.

"You mean, what's right with them? I haven't seen Mon this happy since … I don't think I ever saw her this happy!"

"But, Rach, it's not only Monica. Chandler was depressed since the … accident and now he's just … beaming", Phoebe wonders.

"They did spend the night together…", Joey mumbles.

Rachel turns to Joey, fast as lightning. "Joey, do you know anything?"

"Well, I promised not to tell anyone …"

"You don't have to say anything. But are they dating?"

"What? Rachel, why?", Ross looks at his girlfriend in shock.

"Could be…", Joey whispers.

"Why?"

"Haven't you seen them?", now also Phoebe's convinced. "They couldn't stop grinning, laughing and they couldn't keep their hands off each other. That gotta mean something!"

"But why? They are friends? That's weird! Friends dating … weird!"

Everyone is now looking at Ross. Rachel clears her throat. "Honey?"

"Yeah, I know, we are dating, but it's Chandler and Monica. They were made to be friends. They are not dating."

"But if they date? Wouldn't that be awesome? I mean, have you just seen them? I've never seen any of them as happy as just now."

"I'm sure they're not dating."

"We'll see." Rachel gets up, walks to the fridge and opens the door. She puts a package of milk on the table.

"How? But … She said she needs milk!" Ross seems confused.

Rachel gives him a quick peck on the lips, sits down again and smiles.

* * *

When Monica and Chandler reenter apartment 20, Monica tries to hide her smile a little. It's not working though.

"So, Mon, did you find any milk?", Rachel asks.

Monica looks down. Oh no, she totally forgot to bring the milk. But with Chandler's lips on hers she kinda forgot everything.

"Umm… the guys were out of milk, too. I really have to buy some today!"

"Well, thank God I found some in our fridge, Mon!", Rachel grins.

Monica blushes.

"So, Mon, tell me …"

"Are you two dating for real?", Joey bursts out with the question they've all been secretly thinking.

Monica blushes even more and looks at Chandler. He shrugs, then puts his arms around Monica and nods.

"Well …", Monica begins. "Yes. Did we not hide it well enough?"

Rachel and Phoebe jump up from their chairs, screaming of joy and hugging Monica tightly. Joey gets up, too, and pats on Chandler's shoulder.

"Congratulations!" Joey gives his best friend a wink.

"Why?", they suddenly hear Ross's voice behind them. He is still sitting on his chair.

Monica walks over and leans down to him. "We … it happened last night. We talked and talked and suddenly, fortunately, we realized that we've both been thinking about … this and so …"

"But you're my little sister", Ross whispers, then jumps up as well and points at Chandler. "She is my sister!" He walks towards Chandler, his finger raised. "If you do anything to hurt my little sister, I swear to you, I'll …"

"Ross", Monica tries to hold him back, but can't.

"Ross", Chandler says. "I won't hurt Monica. I would never do that. Come on, she is the most important person to me in the world. I would never ever hurt her, believe me. I could never do that."

Ross snorts. "I thought, Richard would never hurt my little sister and we all knew what happened!"

"Ross", Rachel shouts out loud. "You can't compare Chandler to Richard. I mean, don't you see them together? They fit perfectly."

"That's right, Rach. Ross, look, there is no one I care as much about as Monica. And I'm pretty sure there isn't a man out there who cares about her more than me. Believe me!"

"I do believe you. I mean, of course I do, I have eyes, I can see how you look at each other. I might just need some time to get used to it."

"That's alright. As long as you're still my friend?"

"Sure. " Now Ross gets up as well and hugs Chandler.

"If we hadn't figured out the milk trick, would you have told us?"

"Not yet …", Chandler mumbles. "We thought about keeping it as a secret for a little while. We wanted to figure things out by ourselves first."

"Did you really think we wouldn't notice your good mood, the constant looks you gave each other, your urge to be near each other? Come on, how dumb you think we are?" Joey laughs.

"We don't think you're dumb. We just thought we would be a little better at hiding it. But I don't mind that you know now. At least I gotta show everyone just how much she means to me!" Chandler turns around to kiss Monica, but she isn't there anymore. She is sitting on the couch, her back showing to them.

While he makes his way over to her, he hears Rachel whispering: "Did you think Chandler could ever be sweet like this?"

"I always thought that if anyone brings out this side of Chandler, it gotta be Mon. He always had a soft spot for her", Phoebe responds immediately.

Chandler smiles until he sees Monica sitting on the couch, with tears in her eyes. He rushes over to her and knees down in front of her. With his fingers he wipes away her tears.

"Hey, hey, honey, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm … I'm just really happy right now!" Monica sniffs. Chandler looks at her and she can feel the love he has for her. He pulls her up and directly in his arms.

Patting her back he whispers: "I'm even happier, Mon, I really am!"

Monica's eyes tear up again and she smiles. She knows that she loves this man. She has never loved anyone as much as him. She also knows that it might take a while until he is ready to use these words. But she doesn't need to hear it right now. She knows he feels the same way. She has seen it in his eyes, the look he gave her right before he pulled her in his arms. Saying it can wait. Him being there for her every day is enough for now. And she knows one thing for sure: When he is ready to say these words out loud, it would mean a hundred times more to her.


	14. Chapter 14

_Thanks again for so many reviews. They really made me happy and update faster. ;) I hope you like this end – tell me what you think. :) Thanks for reading this story, enjoy!_

**Epilogue**

"Is everything alright with your wife, Mr. Bing?" A nurse stops Chandler when he exits Monica's room. Chandler thinks he has seen this woman before, but doesn't remember where and when.

"Yes, she just wanted me to get some water for her."

"Okay, you know what? I'm going to get it for her. You have to be near her now. I think she might need you more than ever."

"Thanks so much. I was worried of leaving her alone in her condition. Thank you!" Chandler smiles gratefully at the nurse and reenters Monica's room.

She is sitting in her bed, her skin pale, her hair messy, tears in her eyes. She looks weak, so weak. Even after five years of marriage he still can't stand seeing her like this. Chandler feels the need of hugging her and trying to make her feel better.

Then his look falls on her face. A bright smile is plastered on it and Chandler cannot help but smile, too.

"Here come's daddy again!", she whispers to the small bundle in her arms.

Hearing this sentence Chandler gets goosebumps. Daddy, he really is a daddy now. A few years earlier, after trying so hard to get a baby, they've been told it may never happen for them. When Monica showed him the pregnancy test eight months ago, he couldn't believe what that has to mean. They spent the whole night crying and holding on to each other. The past few months he didn't do anything but making sure his wife and unborn child are well. He has rarely left her side, which she found very annoying sometimes. But she couldn't stop him.

"Can you believe … this?", Monica looks at him and points at their daughter. She isn't able to hold back her tears. He gives her a loving kiss, but pulls back when the little girl in Monica's arms begins to move.

"I mean, she is so beautiful", Monica whispers.

"Did you expect anything else? You've seen me!"

Monica lets out a sobbing laugh.

"And you, of course. I never thought I'd meet a girl more beautiful than you. And now I think, I just did."

"Really?"

"Yeah, outside your room I ran into this nurse and … damn! … she was hot!"

Monica rolls her eyes. "Chandler, this is supposed to be the most emotional moment in our life. Congratulations, you've just ruined it!"

"I love you, Mon!" Chandler pulls her close again. It's so easy to say that now. When he thinks about the times he couldn't bring himself to say these words he laughs. It's unbelievable how much has changed because of this one woman. The first time he confessed his love to her was spontaneous. He didn't even plan it and it wasn't a special occasion. They were sitting on her bed, talking like always, and she was teasing him like … yeah, well … always. The words slipped out of his mouth faster than he thought about them and it felt natural. Then he saw her face and he got angry with himself for not saying it earlier. Just to see her face he would tell her again and again. And even now, after all the years together, her face lights up when she hears these words out of his mouth.

"I love you, Mon", he repeats. "And you are still the most beautiful woman in the world to me! But she is by far the most beautiful baby I've ever seen."

They look at the little girl for a while. Both of them can't really believe it's them who made her. She looks perfect.

"How can two people who are as imperfect as the two of us make something like her?", Monica asks quietly.

"Because we worked together. And I always knew that, we two together, we are pretty much perfect."

"We didn't even think of a name yet."

"What do you mean? Rachel told me you decided on your kids' names when you were like … fourteen!"

"I did. But now I know that I want a name we chose together. To get a perfect name, you know?" Monica gives her husband a wink.

"Well, I thought of a name. But I didn't want to get in the way with yours."

"I would love to hear your suggestion!" Monica smiles and hugs him tightly.

"I … I thought about Josephine." Chandler is looking on the floor while talking. He doesn't want to see Monica's face right now. He is so hoping she likes his suggestion. "'Cause, you know, I don't think we'd be where we are without Joey. From the beginning, when I told him about the crush I have on this girl, he was so supportive. And through the years he helped us with everything and we could always count on him. I … I would really like to do that for him. What do you think?"

"I think it's great. And I've known from the beginning that I'm never gonna be able to win against Joey." Monica grins and looks at Chandler. She is so happy for him that he has Joey. That he has someone he could go to when she is driving him insane. Which happens, from time to time. And also for her Joey is a great friend. Without him Chandler would probably have never talked to her and she wouldn't have experienced the best years of her life.

"Hey, Josephine", she whispers at her daughter. The little girl makes a chuckling noise. "She loves her name", Monica says to Chandler and cuddles close to him. Chandler raises her head and kisses her.

"I'm sorry, the water took some ti… Oh, I didn't want to interrupt." Chandler and Monica look up at the nurse who is holding a bottle of water.

"That's okay. I gotta do that every day", Chandler smiles.

"I'm so happy for you", the nurse confesses. "You might not remember me, but I was working here when you had your accident a few years ago, Mrs. Bing. And I never forgot you. I'm still looking for a guy who looks at me like your boyfriend at this time looked at you."

"Boyfriend?", Monica asks.

"And then, the miracle how you woke up. I knew it was a private moment between the two of you, but I listened to your words, Mr. Bing, and just melted away."

"What … what did you say?", Monica looks at Chandler. They have never talked about that.

"Just stuff… I loved you even then, Monica!"

Monica wants to ask more, but knows that Chandler doesn't want to talk about it right now. Maybe some other day. She turns to the nurse.

"Excuse me, are our friends still out there?"

"Yes, they wouldn't leave the waiting room."

"Can you get them? We would like to introduce them to someone."

"Of course. And I wish you all the best!"

"All the best to you too. And if you wish for a guy like him, be sure to order one less sarcastic. Because this specimen is not able to enjoy an emotional moment. He's just jokes, jokes, jokes. It's terrible and sometimes it really is driving me …"

Chandler plants a quick kiss on her lips to stop her talking.

Laughing the nurse turns around and leaves the room.

"So, Josephine", Chandler turns to his daughter. "I'm gonna teach you all about joking and sarcasm. We can drive mommy insane together, it's gonna be great! Mommy probably teaches you how to clean and be organized and that stuff. You're gonna be the funniest freak ever!"

Monica chuckles. She knows that Chandler's gonna be a great dad. She can see him being strict sometimes, but also funny and so caring.

A little later the door opens and their four friends come in. Phoebe and Rachel have big smiles of delight on their face.

"Oh, look at this tiny baby. Can I, can I hold her?", Rachel asks excitedly.

The little girl hasn't left Monica's arm yet, but seeing Rachel's look Monica gives her the baby.

Phoebe caresses her cheek. "She is soft. Oh wow, I can't believe you two made this. How?"

"I don't think we wanna hear that, Pheebs", Ross shouts. He has a clear picture of Monica and Chandler in his head, but the picture doesn't result in getting a baby.

"What's her name, guys?", Rachel asks. She isn't able to look at something else than the girl in her arms.

Chandler and Monica look at each other and smile. "It's … Josephine."

Rachel, Ross and Phoebe smile and look at Joey.

"Oh, that's a great name", Rachel whispers.

"Yeah", Chandler shrugs. "We thought we would like to give her the name of her godfather…"

"I don't know anyone whose name is Josephine…", Joey mumbles.

Chandler smiles. "Would you like to be godfather of our daughter, Joseph?"

Now even Joey gets it. His eyes grow wide and a big smile appears on his face. "R…really? You want me?"

"Of course." Monica also smiles. Then she turns to Ross. "Ross, I hope you understand our decision. We thought … it … Joey …"

"Mon, it's okay. I'm her uncle, I couldn't wish for more."

"Thank you."

"We are all gonna be her uncles and aunts!", Phoebe exclaims and jumps up and down.

Monica laughs and looks at their friends. "Of course. Josephine is going to be the luckiest girl in New York City. She's gonna have the best uncles and aunts. All of her friends will be jealous."

"Yeah, that's your life now, Josephine", Phoebe whispers. "And now pass her to me, Rach!"

Monica watches her friends passing around her daughter and gets – once again – teary eyes. She is still very emotional from the birth and now seeing the six most important people in her life all together is too much for her. Rachel, Ross, Phoebe and Joey don't even look at her, their eyes are locked on Josephine. But Chandler immediately notices her tears.

"What's wrong, honey?", he whispers.

Monica shrugs. "I … I don't know. Look at them. We … we are so … lucky!" She points at her friends, talking and joking with Josephine. She is awake and looks at them with those big blue baby eyes.

Chandler senses that the feelings which are coming over Monica are too much at the moment.

"Guys, would you give us some alone time?"

Just now the friends look at Monica. She looks happy, but very tired.

"Bye, Josephine. We see you first thing tomorrow morning."

"Have a great first night. Don't keep mommy and daddy up crying all night, alright?"

Then they come over, put Josephine back in Monica's arms and hug Chandler and Monica.

"Congratulations again, you two", Phoebe says.

"I can't get enough of her", Rachel sighs.

"She is surely my favorite niece", Ross laughs.

"Bye, guys, you … thank you for … that", Joey stutters.

As soon as their friends left Monica falls against Chandler, who puts his arms around her.

"Look at her, Chandler. I know I said that already, but she is so cute. Can you believe that?"

Chandler shakes his head. "Not really, no. I mean, growing up I didn't expect I'd ever meet anyone I can trust. Then you came along and became my friend. In this time I didn't expect I'd ever find a wife, let alone a girlfriend. But we fell in love and got married. After our wedding I knew that now everything is fine, 'cause I had you, but then the doctor told us we probably never gonna have kids. And what did you do? A few years later you show me this pregnancy test and once again proved that you turn everything bad in my life into something good."

"Chandler…"

"It's the truth, Mon."

"Chandler, you did the same for me. I mean, I thought I'd never found anyone who would love me, just how I am. I mean, there's a lot you have to put up to with me. But you almost never complain and that's only one of the reasons I love you."

"Oh, Josephine, your parents are the two most screwed up people in this world. You poor thing!" Chandler laughs and tickles his daughter's belly. Josephine grabs his finger and Chandler smiles. With her other little hand Josephine grabs her mother's finger.

Chandler and Monica smile at each other. They know right away what Josephine wants to tell them. They may not exactly know how to be a good parent, but they are going to be the best anyway.

Later that night when they put Josephine to sleep, Chandler cuddles closer to Monica. They are laying side by side in the dark hospital room.

"Monica, can you believe we slept like this a millionth times before we realized we would make a great couple?"

"I think we weren't ready before. And I think we made pretty good friends, too."

"That's right. But I like it better now!" Chandler smiles and searches Monica's face in the dark. Then he kisses her cheek.

"I love you, Mon. Good night!"

"I love you, too, Chandler!"

Due to the exhausting day they fall asleep immediately. Both of them dream of their time together. Started as strangers, they were friends, lovers, spouses and now turned into a perfect little family.


End file.
